Harry Potter and The Green Flame Torch
by Cleo Sombra
Summary: It's a new year! A New DADA teacher! A female teacher?(Uhoh?) Harry's the Quidditch team captain! Advanced Classes! What will happen in the Second War? Read and review! Please ignore the second genre for now..
1. Away to the NEW Burrow?

I finished the fifth Harry Potter book for the second time, and I decided to write the sixth book.  
  
NOTES: I do not own the official Sixth Harry Potter book that has not come out yet, and I don't own books 1-5. Yet. I do not own any of the teachers (yet), except the new DADA teacher.   
  
I apologize if I make a few gramatical mistakes, definitely, probably in comma areas. So I'm sorry about that, I don't think that'll effect the story too much though.  
  
And please, if you like it, review it. Or flame it, I dun care.  
  
Chapter 1. Away to the New Burrow?   
  
Beads of perspiration poured down the forehead of a boy with messy black hair and splattered his black glasses. With another grunt he yanked out a weed and threw it aside carelessly.   
  
Harry Potter of Number 4, Privet Drive heard the shriek of his aunt calling him to the house for dinner. He picked up all his weeds he had pulled from the garden and tossed them in the garbage as he stepped into the house.  
  
"Wash your hands!" Snapped his aunt in a shrill, angry voice. Aunt Petunia Dursley looked nothing like Harry. Luckily. She had a pointy, bird like nose, was extremely thin and tall, and a long neck perfect for looking over fences to spy on neighbors. She looked like a bird.  
  
The water was already running, so he let his hands slid under the hot water and sighed with relief. Even with gloves, his wrists still managed to get a couple of bruises. He turned the faucet off and dried his hands, his uncle, Vernon Dursley, and Harry's cousin Dudley Dursley were already seated at the table.  
  
As Harry approached the table, Vernon glared at him. Vernon Dursley was a large beefy man with a mustache and, unlike his wife, had very little neck. He looked like a big pig. Dudley Dursley was a miniature Vernon, well, he didn't have a mustache, and his neck was a bit longer, and he wasn't that much smaller, even though he was on a diet, he seemed to be making no progress. And 'Dudders' looked like a little pig. "Change into something less revolting." Vernon barked, eyeing the sweat stains of Harry's T-shirt. "And comb that rat nest."  
  
He was used to the insults now, Harry was. He simply trudged upstairs, making sure to wipe his feet.. on Petunia's carpet. Sure, he'd pay for it later, but he mused the expression she would have as she was climbing the stairs to head off to the bedroom.  
  
Harry opened the door of his bedroom, which happened to be the smallest of the house, but still larger then his old little cupboard. The cage on a desk near the window looking out to the front was empty. Hedwig, his snowy white owl, was sending a letter to Ron and the other Weasleys. The Weasleys, especially Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger were Harry's the best friends he made a Hogwarts, a magical school.  
  
Harry Potter is a wizard at sixteen living in the Muggle world until summer is over. Harry is a particularly odd boy, not even including his magical blood.  
  
He hates summers and loves school for one thing, any muggle sixteen year old boy on his street would already classify him as weird. He was parselmouth, the ability to talk to snakes, and he defeated the Dark Lord, Voldemort, not one, but five times. Once when he was a baby, another time when he was eleven, when he defeated the spirit of sixteen year old Tom Riddle when he was twelve, when he was fourteen he was face to face with Voldemort during Triwizard Tournament, and then, only a few months ago, did Harry lose his god father, Sirius Black, his only loving family, to a Death Eater, someone who followed Voldemort's commands, Bellatrix Lestrange, Sirius' cousin.  
  
Pushing all thoughts aside, Harry pulled open his closet and looked at himself in the mirror.  
  
He was taller, with each year passing he shot up a few inches. His black hair, of course, was as unruly as ever, his green eyes as bright as ever, and his scar as bold as ever.  
  
The scar was on his forehead, shaped like a lightning bolt. That scar was what made Harry famous among the wizarding world. That scar was given to him by Voldemort, the most feared and possibly most powerful wizard of all, when he was a baby. Voldemort had killed Harry's parents, with the Avada Kedavra spell, the most deadly curse and an Unforgivable Curse, but could not kill a one year old baby but left him a cut instead.   
  
Harry pulled off his sweaty shirt and pulled on a new one. He pondered on combing his hair but it wouldn't make any difference. A week's worth of gel wouldn't hold that hair down.  
  
He walked down stairs and hurriedly began to eat his dinner which was stew and now stony cold, the others were ignoring him as if he weren't there.  
  
At the train station, just a month ago, Professor Moody - who never got to be a professor, threatened Vernon, that if he mistreated Harry, Vernon would be in trouble.  
  
Professor Moody was one of the many in a group called the Order of the Phoenix. This was a secret group of people - many were Aurors - who fought against Voldemort and things of his nature such as Death Eaters. Harry would rather spend his summer with the Order, but they said children couldn't be at the meetings, though he was no child, and that he was safer at the Dursley's home.  
  
After dinner, he excused himself without permission, though it didn't matter.  
  
Once Harry was in his room, he fell onto the bed sore and tired from a hard day's worth of yard work. His muscles were a little out of use still, for he hadn't played Quidditch for almost a year, thanks to a cruel and hated teacher, Professor Umbridge, part of the Ministry of Magic. Luckily though, at the end of the school year, Peeves had chased her out of the school, and she was never seen again.  
  
Thinking of Umbridge, he looked at his hand, which still had some scars on it. During detentions, Umbridge would force him to write lines with a special quill that cut the words into his hand. Bits of 'I must not tell lies.' were still engraved on his hand.  
  
Harry looked around the small room, pictures of his friends were smiling and waving back at him. A picture of Sirius lay on his table, winking at him cheerfully.  
  
"Oh Sirius..." A tear rolled down Harry's cheek and he didn't bother brushing it away. A knot grew in his throat and his heart sank to the pit of his stomach. Another tear was blinked away, and then another and another. Soon, tears were rolling down the boy's cheeks. He put his face in his pillow to muffle the noises and sniffles.   
  
Very often Harry had crying spells over Sirius. Sirius Black was Harry's father, James' best friend and Harry's god father. When Harry's parents died, Sirius couldn't take Harry in because he was sent to Azkaban, the wizard prison, the day after Harry's parents died.   
  
Eleven years later, he escaped but still could not take care of Harry because he was thought to be the murderer of thirteen people, killing them with a single curse.  
  
Though this was not true, but it was Peter Pettigrew, one of James and Sirius' old friends who killed those people and betrayed the Potters.  
  
Soon after the students were let out of school, Sirius went back to his old home from when he was a teenager. This became Headquarters for the Order, about the only useful thing Sirius could do, as he wasn't allowed outside.  
  
Near in the end of the year, Harry had a dream that Sirius was being tortured and would be killed by the Dark Lord. This wasn't true, but Voldemort somehow knew that occasionally Harry could feel Voldemort's emotions and thoughts. He had lured Harry into the Department of Mysteries to get a prophecy between him and Harry.   
  
In the Department of Mysteries, Harry and his friends met up with Death Eaters, one including Lucius Malfoy. The group of friends narrowly escaped them and Voldemort, but Sirius fell behind a veil when Bellatrix fired a spell at him.   
  
It's amazing, isn't it? How life works. One minute someone is there, springing lively in beauty, the next minute they are gone from the world, gone from life. How they can breath one minute and be empty the next. Life could be so unfair. When Harry thought nothing could get worse, he lost his only family. Sirius was a friend, a father, and a brother to Harry. If Harry hadn't gone and had to be heroic, nothing would have happened. If he had listened to Hermione, if he had practiced Occlumency more none of this would have happened. If.. if..  
  
He fell asleep grieving and had a very funny dream that something heavy was on his chest. His arms were pinned to his side, he couldn't push whatever it was off, and it was getting heavier.  
  
Harry's eyes flashed open and he nearly jumped as two large ones stared back at him. He sighed with relief when it was only Hedwig. She nibbled affectionately on Harry's finger as he untied the letter. It was from the Order, written by Moody.  
  
HP -  
  
Are those muggles treating you well?...  
  
This was the first question he always asked.  
  
Any signs of You-know-who? Soon, soon we might be able to get you back here, or at the Burrow. We wish you a 'Sweet Sixteen' birthday. I hope the presents arrive safely, and we know they're a little early and all. I hope they treat you good.  
  
- MEM  
  
HP stood for Harry Potter, MEM, as Harry knew, standed for Mad Eye Moody. We meant the Order, and they meant the Dursleys.  
  
Harry pulled out his quill and some parchment and began to write.  
  
MEM -  
  
Yes, they are treating me fine. And no, no signs of him anywhere, but I don't know if he would be mad enough to try something anytime soon. Finally! I hate it here, as usual. Don't worry, they don't treat me any worse as usual. If I go with you guys, will I see my friends? Thanks for the birthday presents. Hope you have it easy.  
  
- HP  
  
Harry had been wanting to write that he didn't get the presents, but didn't want to sound spoiled or anything. He reread his note and thought that no one would be able to understand it to well if they did intercept it.   
  
Harry looked at his owl, who was drinking out of her water bowl and decided not to give her the letter, but to let her rest for awhile.  
  
He walked over to the window and looked out of it. Night had fallen and stars were now peeking out. The moon was full and he sighed, thinking of Professor Remus Lupin.  
  
Remus was part of the Order and was a werewolf. He was the last of the Marauders. James, Sirius, Peter, and Remus had called themselves Marauders and Remus was the last remaining Marauder - Peter was unwrittenly kicked out.  
  
Even though he was a werewolf, Remus was a teacher at Hogwarts in Harry's third year. Though, one night when he was forming into his werewolf form and almost attacked three of his pupils, the next day he resigned.  
  
While Harry was thinking, he didn't notice the four owls coming straight for his window. He came into thought and backed up, letting the four zoom in. They dropped their packages on his bed, and three of the four owls flew out of the window again. The remaining owl was now bouncing around hyperly, and was about the size of a large baseball. Harry recognized this owl as Ron's owl Pig.   
  
Hedwig, judging from her expression was quite disgruntled with the small owl, yet allowed him to rest in a small part of her cage.   
  
Harry picked up the first package that had a card on it.  
  
Dear Harry,  
  
How is everything going at your home? At the Dursleys treating you good? MEM says we might be able to get you out of that house early! Did you get your grades from the O.W.Ls yet? I didn't. But we still have five more days till the end of July, and your birthday.   
  
We didn't go anywhere for summer vacation. My parents wanted me home and I can't blame them. We had a lot of fun and went to some muggle beaches. It's real lovely at this one beach we were at. The sand was soft and gold, the waves were clear. Have you got all your homework done? I have. But it's a lot of relief not to have Potions or History of Magic work anymore, since we may or may not have it next year.   
  
I hope you enjoy your presents,  
  
Love,  
  
Hermione.  
  
Harry grinned. Same old Hermione and the grades thing. Though it was now three days before his birthday, so Hedwig must have had a slow journey back. He gingerly opened the package, half heartedly wondering if it was another homework planner. When he opened the package, he was actually startled to find that it wasn't a book. Well. It was. Sort of.  
  
It was a diary, not like the one in his second year, but it was white and soft to hold. He opened it and there was a note in there. He read it.  
  
  
  
It will be very hard for you to handle what has happened last year, but I have a diary of my own, and I find it helps me relieve anger and sort out my problems. I hope you'll like it.  
  
Love,  
  
Hermione.   
  
Harry also found a few chocolate frogs, and put them aside on the table. He wrote Hermione a thank you immediately and set it aside for the time being.   
  
He picked up the next present on the bed which had another card with it. Harry opened the package and found a wooden snitch with his name burned into it, and even wings that were detailed. There was a tin of chocolate fudge cookies, too.  
  
He could tell immediately it was from Ron the minute he opened it, because he recognized the chicken scratch Ron called writing.  
  
'Lo Harry -  
  
I hope you like your present. Or you better. I made it. I'm telling you now so I won't forget to tell you in the end. I have a lot to tell you. And Ginny's present is included with mine.  
  
First off, you probably already know that you might be coming home soon. Were not at the Burrow but at Headquarters. MEM and Lupin are still worried that we won't be as safe, but Fred and George are hanging around often, there will be three overage wizards and witch around most of the time.  
  
Fred and George have started their own joke shop in Hogsmeade, much to Mum's disapproval. We've been there a few times, me and Gin. It's actually a pretty cool place, a lot like Zonkos. When we were there, there were a lot of customers. So far Gred and Forge are making a pretty good living off their products. George, Fred suspects, also might have a girlfriend. Oooh. Speaking of girls, Fleur and Bill have been hitting it off pretty well.  
  
Dad got back to work and got a raise! He's still with the Artifacts thing and all though. What a boring job. Speaking of job, Percy is still hanging around the Ministry. I think Mum and Dad are going to disown him. He deserves it, that lousy git.  
  
How is everything there at your place? I hope those muggles are treating you good. And I hope your feeling good Harry, really you need it.  
  
- Your friend Ron.  
  
Fred and George and Gin, who is Ginny, are Ron's brothers and sister. Last year Fred and George dropped out of school after leaving with a big bang. (No pun intended.) Arthur Weasley, Ron's dad, works in the Ministry of Magic in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office. Arthur is obsessed with muggles and muggle things. His house is full of muggle batteries and plugs!  
  
Arthur also met the Dursleys will always remember him as the man who wrecked their living room in attempts at being friendly.   
  
Harry replied to Ron's note almost the same as Hermione's and then grabbed Pig. As he was tying the two letters to the small owl's feet he said, "Make sure these get to Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley safely, all right?"  
  
The owl hooted happily and the minute Harry let him go, he sped out the window. Harry turned to Hedwig, who was giving him a look of disgust.   
  
"Oh, Hedwig. I need you for the longer journeys."  
  
The next two packages had to be from the Order because they were large, and had no name except, stamped on the top, was OotP. Which, in no doubt, stood for Order of the Phoenix.  
  
The first one had a delicious chocolate cake in it, or he hoped it would be. It was sent by Nymphadora Tonks, an Auror in the Order who prefers to go by her surname. There was a note next to the cake.  
  
  
  
Hope you like my first ever cake!  
  
- Tonks.  
  
Harry grinned and put aside the cake for now, in case. The next present, no doubt, was from Moody. It was a brand new Sneaker. A Sneaker is kind of like a Sneakoscope, except it is a bit more advanced, and can warn you when trouble is coming. He'd remember to thank Moony later.  
  
The next present was from Remus Lupin. More like it was a package of it's own. Inside, was a mirror. Quickly, Harry realized it was the other two way mirror. Sirius had given Harry a two way mirror, so if there ever had been trouble, Harry could talk to him. Yet now, Harry would never talk to him again. He turned it over and was about to smash it in anger, when he saw a note in Sirius' writing. (Notice: This next note comes from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I did not write it.)  
  
This is a two-way mirror. I got the other. If you need to speak to me,  
  
just say my name into it; you'll appear in my mirror and I'll be able  
  
to talk in yours. James and I used to use them when we were in separate  
  
detentions. (Finished.)  
  
Harry read and reread the note. This was no doubt the same mirror he had smashed last year. He wondered how it got here. He remembered throwing it in his trunk. But then.. he never remembered seeing it again...   
  
Harry grabbed a quill and parchment and scribbled like mad,  
  
  
  
Dear Lupin,  
  
Where did you get the mirror? Sirius had given it to me last year and I broke it when I put it in my trunk. There is no cracks or anything in the mirror either, how did this happen?  
  
- Harry.  
  
With that, was a book of Defense Against the Dark Arts, candy, and some owl treats for Hedwig.   
  
Harry opened the can of treats and gave a couple to Hedwig. "These are from Lupin, remember him?"  
  
Harry was now awfully tired, and would send Hedwig with the letter tomorrow. Harry changed and sat on his bed, taking his glasses off. The nightmares from last year had gone, completely. His scar never hurt anymore. As much as this was a good thing, it scared him a bit. What was going on with Voldemort? Deep down, Harry knew he wasn't dead.  
  
Sirius was sitting in a corner, shaking like mad. His eyes were shut and he appeared to be sleeping.   
  
"Sirius! Sirius!" Harry shouted but not a sound came out. He couldn't move at all, couldn't open his mouth. "Sirius." Yet, Sirius didn't see him, nor hear him. Suddenly, a dark figure shadowed over his sleeping god father.  
  
Sirius' eyes flew open and he tried to back away, groping for his wand. Green sparks shot out of the shadow's wand.....  
  
"NOOOOOOOOOO!!" Harry shouted and sat up from the nightmare. His sweat was cold and he was shaking a bit, then he froze. There was no sign of life or movement, no one heard him scream? Though.. perhaps he didn't. His mouth was shut.  
  
He looked over to his bed table, the light was slowly peeking out. It was 6.30, no one would be up right now. Harry glanced over at the desk, Hedwig was gone and so was his letter.  
  
He couldn't get back to sleep, so Harry took a quick shower and got changed. Deciding what to do, Harry pulled out him broom and sat on his bed with the broom polish. It was almost a year since he last rode it, and he hoped to ride it soon again. Umbridge not only almost got him expelled, gave him unfair detentions, but she even took away his Quidditch. Surely he would be able to fly again this year.  
  
As he was cleaning his broom, he heard Vernon wake up and move about. Quickly, he hide his broom and pulled out The Quibbler, which Luna Lovegood, a Ravenclaw was only to happy to send him once every two weeks.  
  
As he was reading, he continued to hear Vernon stomping around, being loud as usual. How the other two could sleep through any of that was beyond Harry's knowledge.  
  
"Make breakfast." Mr. Dursley grunted from the other side of Harry's door. Harry let him trudge down the hall a bit, before putting the magazine away and went downstairs to cook.  
  
He looked out the window as he was putting on the bacon. On a rock, next to the fence, Harry could barely make out a small, green garden snake. For a long time, he stared at the snake then heard Petunia coming, he lowered his head back down to the bacon, making sure it didn't burn.  
  
When it was done, Harry set the bacon and eggs on the table. He sat down and took a portion and began to eat. It was a Sunday, and Mr. Dursley was looking at the newspaper.  
  
"We, that doesn't mean YOU boy, are going to church. I want the kitchen spotless clean when we get back, and don't go near the fridge. Piers is coming over afterwards and I want you out of the boys sight. Clear?" Petunia glared at him. For once, just for once, Harry wanted to say 'No, it wasn't clear.'   
  
Yet, he nodded like he listened and finished eating. The Dursleys in their finest clothes bustled out to the car. It was amazing, Harry thought, how Vernon and Dudley could both fit in it. Then again, it was a pretty big car.  
  
Piers Polkiss and a few other boys were a part of Dudley's gang. Dudley was the leader of course, because he was the biggest, richest, and stupidest. Usually when Dudley and one of his friend's came over, they'd try to beat up Harry. That was last year, this year, Dudley wouldn't speak to Harry, whatsoever.  
  
Not that was a bad thing, in any way shape or form. And it was quite fun, when one of the gang wanted to beat up Harry and Dudley wouldn't allow it. Still, Harry rather have had him lay off then it taking two dementers.  
  
Dementers were the Azkaban guards. They weren't humans, but creatures in cloaks that sucked the happiness out of a person. The Dementers Kiss would suck the soul out of a person. Like a body, a living person, but no life really, no soul. When Sirius was on the run, if he was found, he would have been given the Kiss. And almost did get caught, but flew off on a hippogriff.  
  
Harry began washing the counters and dishes lazily, church was about an hour long and it took them around ten minutes to get there, and then Mrs. Dursley would want a cup of tea with Mrs. Polkiss and all, so Harry had some time to himself.   
  
He flicked on the radio and listened to some muggle music playing, he didn't know the name of the singer but it was male. After the song, the news came on, and Harry turned to listen to it, leaving a rag dripping at his side.  
  
"Mr. and Mrs. Robert Vance were found dead in their house on Abington Road, this morning at 1.00. A neighbor commented on seeing a flash of green light in the window of the house. After one hour, the neighbor crept over to the Jones' house and found the bodies of Mr. and Mrs. Vance lying on their mattress. Detectives cannot find a trace of evidence on who killed them, there was no attempt of strangling, no gunshot wounds or cuts. Detectives are still looking for clues now. Anyone who knows of anyone as a possible suspect please call..."   
  
Vance.. where had he heard that before? He didn't know and pushed it aside when he heard the car pulling up the drive. Quickly, Harry turned off the radio and put the washing rags away.   
  
He climbed up the stairs, taking his time with each step, listening to the wood groan and creak lightly.  
  
"BOY! Get down here!" Vernon shouted once he hit the top step. Sighing, Harry wheeled around and went back down stairs into the kitchen.  
  
"Dudley is over at Piers house instead." Vernon informed him.   
  
Like I care?   
  
"And I got THIS about YOU." Vernon waved a letter around Harry's head, but when Harry tried to grab it back, Mr. Dursley began to read it out loud.  
  
Dear Mr. Vernon Dursley,  
  
Something has come up and we are going to take your   
  
nephew, Harry Potter back with up to the Order, which where he will  
  
remain with his friends until the beginning of the school year. You better  
  
have been taking good care of him and we expect to see him at the front  
  
door in five minutes.  
  
Thank you for your cooperation.  
  
- OotP.  
  
"Who are these - these people? They are one of your type, aren't they?" Vernon leered at him. "And what if I DON'T let you go with them?"  
  
"Then you will have to answer to me." A cool voice rasped from the door way. Harry looked past Vernon who was wheeling around. There stood Mad-Eye Moody, with all his scars, and Tonks (Who now had black shoulder length hair and brown eyes and was wearing jeans and a T-shirt.)  
  
"Come on Harry, let's go get your things." Tonks said and led the way to his room, leaving Mr. Dursley and Moody to talk. Mr. Dursley was opening is mouth to protest, but Moody stopped him by pulling out his wand.  
  
"I don't know if you know, but Emmaline Vance, part of the Advance Guard that brought you to the Grimmauld place, was killed early with morning." Tonks said as they entered his room.  
  
"Yeah, I heard it on the news." Harry nodded, watching Tonks pack up the stuff with her wand last year.  
  
"We don't know if this has any real danger to do with the Order yet, but we want to make sure. Hermione Granger is already there and Ron.. well..." Tonks looked at Harry. "The Weasleys had spent most of their time at the Grimmauld place and the house really began to crumble and all. The Order, well the Order has let them move in." She waited for his reaction which was a grin.  
  
"That's good." He said quietly. He knew she was thinking that he would be upset that they were sort of taking Sirius' home, but Harry knew he wouldn't mind, in fact, he'd be thrilled. "Is Professor Lupin there? I need to talk to him.  
  
"Yeah, he's there. Everyone misses you and all Harry. I mean, it's horrible what happened. If you ever want to talk about it.." Tonks began but he cut her off.  
  
"No, no. That's okay." He never wanted to talk about it, again. Ever.  
  
"Well then, let's go." She said, putting a charm on the trunk and they walked down stairs to meet Moody.  
  
When they got down stairs, Vernon Dursley was no where to be seen. However, Moody was sitting at the table casually, wand laying on the table, and his fake eye spinning slowly in a cup of water. When he saw the two, he popped the eye in and stood up, taking his wand.  
  
"Were using a portkey this time. The office who watches over all portkeys and hunts for illegal ones is having a very large conference." Tonks informed Harry, pulling out a broken telephone.   
  
"All right then." Moody began gruffly and everyone placed a finger or two on the telephone. "Three, two, one." 


	2. OWLS

I finished the fifth Harry Potter book for the second time, and I decided to write the sixth book. NOTES: I do not own the official Sixth Harry Potter book that has not come out yet, and I don't own books 1-5. Yet. I do not own any of the teachers (yet), except the new DADA teacher. I apologize if I make a few gramatical mistakes, definitely, probably in comma areas. So I'm sorry about that, I don't think that'll effect the story too much though.  
  
NOTICES: If you ever see /blah/ that means it should be in italics. I can't get the italics to show up, even when I use tags. And if you see --- before and after something, then of course, it is beginning something like a dream or a letter and then the ones after it are ending the letter or dream. I hope you won't be extremely confused by this. Thank you for understanding.  
  
-------  
  
Chapter 2. O.W.L.S  
  
With a rush Harry stopped immediately in the front hall of Number 12, Grimmauld place. Surprisingly, he hadn't fallen this time.  
  
"Harry!" Two female voices called in excitement. Four arms clamped over him in hugs, making him almost topple over. He felt bushy, frizzy hair rub against his cheek and saw a glimpse of long red hair. Ginny Weasley and Hermione Granger pulled back, smiling at him with a tear in their eyes.  
  
Ginny had gone up a few more inches now and had grown her hair down a bit. Hermione only shot up an inch that he remembered and it appeared she just had a hair cut that hasn't really controlled the frizzyness.  
  
"Oh Harry we missed you terribly!" Ginny sighed and Harry was afraid they'd try and hug him again.  
  
"Harry! How are you?" Mrs. Weasley came in, hugging Harry. Mrs. Weasley was a short, plump woman with long, slightly curly hair. She was very friendly and loving, but when mad, she got mad. She almost would treat Harry like another one of her sons.  
  
"Harry's there? Harry!" Ron called from the living room and ran in skidding to a halt when he saw his friend. Ron Weasley seemed to have stayed the same height (and he was still taller then everyone else!) and he looked about the same. Though he seemed to have more freckles then Harry remembered.  
  
"Hey Ron, I got your letter. You guys really.. changed the place." Harry said, adjusting his glasses and looking around. A lot of the paintings were taken down, including the one of Mrs. Black. "Where's Kreacher?"  
  
"He snuffed it." Ron tried not to grin and Hermione made a `hmph'ing sound. Ignoring her, Ron went on, "Want to see my room? It's a lot more roomy now that Fred and George don't live here. But they and Bill and Charlie are around a lot. `Mione is in Ginny's room and your in mine. Come on, I'll show it to you."  
  
Harry followed Ron to the room he had slept in last summer and Christmas. The second he stepped in, he took a step back. Everything was the same from his burrow house. It was bright orange everywhere, Chudley Cannons, everywhere.  
  
There was a bed against the wall with a Chudley Cannons cover, a table and lamp next to it with pictures of Harry and Hermione, a closet, drawers, and a desk. A small, lower bed was at the other side of the room for Harry.  
  
He put his trunk away and turned to Ron. "So..."   
  
Ron plunked down on his own bed. Discussion was pretty much useless a the moment, Ron was thinking about Sirius and Harry didn't want to talk about him. Ron took a breath and began something that seemed rehearsed, "Harry, what happened with Sirius was not your fault.."  
  
Harry wouldn't look at him. It was his fault and he knew it. If he had never stopped Occlumency, if he had listened to his godfather, if he had listened to Hermione, if he had stayed put, if he had been kinder to Kreacher, if he had talked to Snape more, if he had used his head, if he hadn't acted like a hero.. if.. if..  
  
"Harry? Are you all right?" Hermione came into the room followed by Ginny. "Your crying."   
  
Harry came to his senses, tears were on his cheeks. He looked away from them and rubbed his eyes on his shirt sleeve. "I'm fine." A knot was in his throat again. "I don't want to talk about it." He sighed. Harry could defeat the Dark Lord, win a Quidditch game in the rain, but couldn't face his friends about Sirius.  
  
"It's okay, you don't have to right now." Ginny said quietly, understandingly.  
  
"Lunch is ready!" Molly Weasley, Ron and Ginny's mother chimed from downstairs.  
  
They ate a hearty lunch of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with pumpkin juice. Remus Lupin came down stairs and grabbed a sandwich just when the others had finished.  
  
"Harry! How are you doing?" He asked, taking a large, wolfish bite of the sandwich.  
  
"Fine, just fine. Can I talk to you? Perhaps.. ugh.." He motioned to the hall and then blushed, hating to sound so formal and all.  
  
"Sure, what is Harry?" He asked as they walked out. Up close Harry looked him over. His clothes weren't as shabby, but he had some wrinkles and frown lines, his hair was graying slowly. Harry felt it was all the stress of the Order.  
  
"Well.. it's about the two-way mirror from Sirius." Remus began to open his mouth to speak, but Harry continued, "Sirius had given that to me, and I found it at Hogwarts. I accidentally broke it putting it in my trunk the first time. And then you send it to me." Harry left out the part where he smashed it on purpose.  
  
"Sirius and James put a foolproof charm on it. Sirius had the first one when he.. and I didn't know he gave it to you. So, when one of the Marauders lost the mirror, they could summon it. And when I couldn't find it, I did. So I thought it would be best to give it to you. And I repaired it, of course."  
  
"Oh. What about Peter?" Harry asked worriedly.  
  
"I'm pretty sure only me, James, and Sirius know about them. I had to come in during on of their detentions, and I caught James talking into it to Sirius once." Remus smiled a bit. "Harry it's not your -"  
  
"I don't want to talk about it, sir." Harry looked down quickly.  
  
Remus sighed and looked up at Harry, as if he was about to say something very hard. "You can't lock everything up, Harry. You need to let it out." He looked at Harry's face. "I'll give you time though."  
  
Harry looked down at his trainers. Frankly anywhere other then Remus' face.  
  
  
  
The next day was a pretty odd one. Now that Harry was there, he could pitch in with the major work that still needed to be done. During the holidays, Sirius couldn't do much on his own, but four teenagers could together.  
  
In the morning, Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny trooped up to the attack to battle all dust and creatures that might be resting there. Surprisingly, the only living thing were spiders. (When Ron found this out, he went down stairs for a very long time to ask his mother when lunch would be ready.) They took a few hours of moving boxes and cleaning away the dust. There was a lot of room when they were done, and amazingly enough, they found out there was a floor.  
  
After lunch, they began the Battle of the Basement. Really, it seemed like being a battle.   
  
The basement was very dark, even with the little light it gave off. Ron refused to go down there until they cleared out all spiders and anything having more the four legs. Ginny had to be mean, because when she said the coast was clear, he came down, and the first box he had picked up had a spider on it. He nearly ran off again, but stopped to give everyone who was laughing a dirty look.  
  
There were a few rats lying around, and a couple of doxies but that was pretty much it. It was more clustered then the attic had been, so they took longer to clean it all out.  
  
Hermione, luckily, had brought a big flash light. "Hey Harry, come look at this!" She called, shining her flash light into a box.   
  
The others came to and looked over Harry and Hermione's shoulders. In the box lay a long sheath. It was an all black sheath, except with silver writing on the front.   
  
"Ep‚e de serpent... What's that mean, Hermione?" Harry asked and everyone looked at her.  
  
"I don't know! We went to France but I only learned a bit. You all know what Serpent means. I think Ep‚e may mean Sword, or shield, or something." Hermione shrugged a bit and everyone grinned. "What's so funny?"  
  
"Hermione Granger! Doesn't know something? Can I get that in writing?" Ron grinned playfully, the others snorted.  
  
"Ron!" Hermione narrowed her eyes at him. "Harry, why don't you try and pull it out? You handle the swords better then us.."  
  
The others nodded and Harry looked down at the sword. He picked up the handle and felt an excitable shiver down his spine. He was about to take the sheath off when he heard Mrs. Weasley calling.  
  
"Come quick! Your lists and O.W.L.S have come back!"  
  
Harry, Ron, and Hermione hurried upstairs and Ginny followed them for her supply list.  
  
On the table were seven letters. Harry picked up the two that were addressed to him. One had the Hogwarts crest, and the other, the letters O.W.L. written in large, green ink.  
  
Harry slowly opened the O.W.L. letter and read his scores.  
  
Charms: E  
  
Transfiguration: E  
  
Defense Against the Dark Arts: O  
  
Potions: O  
  
History of Magic: A  
  
Astronomy: A  
  
Care of Magical Creatures: E  
  
Divination: D  
  
O.W.Ls: 14.  
  
"Harry, you got an O in Potions!" Ron slapped him on the back. "I only got an E. Oh wow, way to go Harry. Oh Hermione I knew you'd get an O in everything anyway." Ron shrugged, grinning at them. "I got everything you had Harry, except an E in Potions and Transfiguration was an A. I got 12 O.W.L.S. How many did you get Hermione?"  
  
"I got 20!" Hermione was grinning like mad. "I hope I get to be Head Girl when I'm in seventh year. What's wrong with you Harry?"  
  
Harry was now looking at his list for the school year. He was pale and his jaw was hanging low in surprise. "I-I made QUIDDITCH CAPTAIN!" Excitedly, he read the letter out loud..  
  
---  
  
/Dear Mr. Harry Potter,  
  
Since the captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team has graduated,  
  
she and myself have both decided it would be best to had over the position of   
  
Team Captain to you. Your playing for the past four years has been outstanding,   
  
and we will not count the banning from last year against you.  
  
Congratulations and good luck.  
  
- Professor Mcgonagall.  
  
Deputy Headmistress./  
  
---  
  
Three pairs of hands and three girlish voices covered over him and a hand slapped him on the back.  
  
"Harry, I'm so proud of you."  
  
"Good job Harry!"  
  
"I knew you'd be captain!"  
  
"Way to go, mate!"  
  
Mrs. Weasley, Hermione, Ginny, and Ron grinned at Harry and Tonks, Lupin, and Moody all came in to congratulate Harry and everyone on their grades.  
  
"Why don't you kids relax for a bit, go in the living room, yes? I think you've done enough for a day and you deserve a good break." Mrs. Weasley praised them. "Tomorrow I'll take you for your school supplies."  
  
"Oh! Can I come? I'll help chauffeur them around." Tonks said excitedly and Harry could have sworn she winked at him. Mrs. Weasley seemed to have caught the wink but nodded, allowing her to come.  
  
The group of kids took their lists into the living room and sat down on the couch and chairs. Hermione and Harry were rather quiet and wouldn't look at Ron who sensed something.  
  
"What is it?" He asked them quickly.  
  
"Well, Ron.." Hermione said quietly. "You won't be able to attend Advanced Potions or Transfiguration with us. If you want to be an Auror, I think you can still get into another class for Potions and Transfiguration though.."  
  
"Oh." Ron looked at his list and shrugged. "That's okay. Were still going to be in Care of Magical Arts, and the other classes together, right?"  
  
"Oh yeah, of course." Harry nodded. "It's just Potions won't be the same without you.." Harry grinned and Ron grinned right back, both of them snorted.  
  
"Boys." Hermione and Ginny rolled their eyes.  
  
"Even if you got a poor grade in Defense Against the Dark Arts, now you have to continue taking it." Tonks appeared in the living room and plopped down on the floor near them. Everyone liked Tonks as one of the best of the Order. Lupin was fatherly and Moody was tough, but Tonks was just spunky but level headed nonetheless.  
  
"What?" Everyone asked, looking surprised. All the teachers tended to have standards and for some of the classes, depending on your year, also had choices.  
  
"Ever since the second war started, the Ministry has been taking extra precautions. So whoever is teaching at your school this year is going to have to teach everyone and have extra classes. Because the professor, not only teaching advanced for years six and seven, but will have to teach all the other students in six and seven in separate classes." Tonks gave an expression that made it seem like she felt sorry for the teacher. Or maybe she could have been trying to change her nose.  
  
"Do you know who the teacher will be?" Harry asked. Now this was a dumb question. Tonks didn't even work there.   
  
"Nope." Tonks shrugged. "What's the book you have to get in Defense Against the Dark Arts?"  
  
Hermione looked at her list. "Protect and Defend from the Dark Arts by Edgar Woodlend."  
  
Tonks thought for a moment about the book and name then shook her head, "Never heard of it." She tapped her fingers on the floor for a minute then looked at them. "So what do you want to be?"  
  
"I want to be an Auror. Didn't you want to be one to, Harry?" Ron asked, looking at him.  
  
"Yeah, I did." Harry agreed.  
  
"So do I." Hermione piped up and then blushed a little bit.  
  
"You do?" Harry, Ron, and Ginny both looked at her at the same time in amazement. "  
  
I thought you wanted to be a Healer." Ginny tilted her head at her friend.  
  
"Well I did. But the Order and Aurors seems so much more interesting and more helpful. There are plenty of Healers already. Didn't you want to be a Healer, Ginny?"  
  
Ginny nodded and blushed a bit, a trace of a smile on her face. "I've been in Pompfey's so often.."  
  
"Well, you three," Tonks nodded to Harry, Hermione, and Ron. "You'll need to focus on Transfiguration, Potions, and DADA the most. Charms is good, of course. But the other three definitely. Ron, I suggest you try extremely hard in Potions and Transfiguration to get your grades up, and then maybe Mcgonagall and.. Snape are they? Will let you into the Advanced Classes next year, or even this year." Ron looked a bit relieved and a bit nervous.  
  
"Maybe Mcgonagall. But Snape hates me."  
  
Tonks, at the moment, chose to ignore him. "And Ginny, if you want to be a Healer, you'll definitely need to focus on Potions and Herbology. Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts are probably your most important classes of all. Charms would come with that, of course. Especially since most wizards and witches are always using them.."  
  
"Well, since `Mione will always be helping the boys," Ginny gave Hermione a teasing smile, "I can always ask Neville in help for Herbology. And I think I can make it in Potions.."  
  
Tonks smirked at them and then looked at Harry. "Are you going to continue this D.A. thing?"  
  
Harry shrugged and looked at his friends. "I don't know. Last year, I mean the teacher was no help whatsoever. Perhaps we'll have a good teacher this year, I won't. Without the D.A. last year, we would have never gotten past the Death Eaters..." He adverted his eyes to the floor.  
  
"Well, unless this teacher is like Umbridge, I suggest you stop the D.A. With now Quidditch and keeping your grades up, it'll be a lot harder."  
  
Harry blinked and thought for awhile. She was right. Quidditch, grades, and now being team captain would be a lot harder, now. He knew he would have to dedicate himself this year. He looked up at them.  
  
"Don't worry, Harry. We have faith in you! You can do it." Ron encouraged him and the girls agreed.  
  
"Well, with Quidditch, I'm seriously going to be out of practice.." Harry sighed, frowning a bit and looked at Ron. "And I'm not letting you resign." Harry was surprised at how much he sounded like Angelina Johnson, the old Quidditch team captain. Ron and Ginny noticed it to and were smiling.  
  
"See, Harry? Already your sounding like the old captain." Ron pointed out, grinning harder.  
  
"What IS your first game?" Hermione asked, forgetfully.  
  
"I think it's against Slytherin, we always have the first game." Harry said, Ginny and Ron groaned.  
  
"This time, Harry, Ron, keep your head cool if Malfoy dares to insult you. That wart. All he wants to do is get you going, and get you thrown off the teams. Again." Hermione shook her head.  
  
"Malfoy.. Draco Malfoy? Oh he isn't going to be happy this year. His father is still in Azkaban, where he belongs. The Dementers now have to guard the prison more, now. Fudge had a nice long talk with `em. I don't know how much good it'll do, but it's better then having the prison totally unguarded." Tonks informed them. "There will be another trial or two and the Death Eaters that tried to kill you guys might get the kiss, but I highly doubt it. Especially Malfoy."  
  
"Why Mr. Malfoy?" Ginny asked her.  
  
"Because he has money and he can use it in all the right places. But I still think he has to be in prison for a little while longer, before he can even try to get out, even on good behavior."  
  
"I thought Azkaban didn't do bail like muggle prisons did.." Hermione looked at Tonks questioningly.  
  
"Oh they don't. But Fudge, if he wanted, could get Malfoy out of jail. Mr. Malfoy has Fudge pretty much wrapped around his finger. Lucius had been so generous those past few months.. Fudge is pretty money hungry. I wish Dumbledore was running things, but then who would be there to run the school? Professor Dumbledore has been doing a great job." Tonks commented on this approvingly.  
  
"Think he will anytime soon?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Not before school starts at anyway. And even if they do, the Death Eaters will probably be on probation. And if Lucius escapes, he'll have to hide like Sirius did." Tonks said and then bit her lip looking at Harry, who shrugged.  
  
"Hey Harry, tomorrow's your birthday!" Ginny said looking surprised. Harry himself was a little bit startled, he had forgotten that it was his birthday soon.   
  
"Oh yeah. Thanks for the presents you guys gave me, I loved them. And Ron, your pretty good with the wood burner."  
  
Ron shrugged carelessly and Ginny smiled a bit. "Thanks." They said together.  
  
"I'll definitely use yours, `Mione." Harry said. She smiled happily. Molly Weasley's voice called from the dining room.  
  
"Time for dinner!"  
  
. 


	3. Diagon Alley

I'm sorry for the long wait, I wanted to work on the next chapter. I have swimming after school, and sometimes chorus, so during school I will be slower on the chapters. Please forgive me..  
  
And I thank you, all of you for your reviews. Their what makes me like to write. I really do appreciate them.  
  
Continue to enjoy it! Read and review, please.  
  
-----  
  
Diagon Alley  
  
The next morning Mr. Weasley, Ron, Ginny, Hermione, Harry, Professors Moody and Lupin, and Tonks were sitting at the table for breakfast and Mrs. Weasley was dishing out eggs and toast, talking about where they would have to go that day.  
  
"Well, first we'll have to go to Gringotts, then Flourish and Blotts, probably the Apothecary, too.. I'll let you have some time to run around loose for a bit... But for only a bit.."  
  
"So, Harry, want to go check out the Quidditch supplies with me and Ginny afterwards?" Ron turned to him.   
  
"Sure, why not?" Harry said, shrugging. He began to think. He'd want to have try outs the first week probably, and then start practices early, perhaps he could even take some of the newer members and have one on one practices to help them.. maybe.. just maybe..  
  
Harry was dragged from his thoughts when Mrs. Weasley put her hand on Harry's shoulder. "Come on, Harry. You guys need to get ready."  
  
Harry went upstairs to his trunk and pulled out a satchel of money then came down with the others.  
  
"How are we going to get there?" Harry asked as they stood by the door. Tonks had navy blue hair in long pigtails and wore a white shirt and black pants with stars all over them. She looked funky.  
  
"I'll meet you at the entrance of Diagon Alley, I have some quick things to do. You'll be riding in the Weasleys' new Ford Anglia." And with that, Tonks was gone with a small pop.  
  
"All right then, Ginny, you ride in the front with me. Harry, Ron, Hermione, will you take the back?" Mrs. Weasley was walking away from the door. Curiously, they followed her to the back of the house. There was a drive way and a car parked in it. The Ford was the same turquoise blue the old one was, in fact, it seemed to have all the same dents and scratches (the ones BEFORE Harry and Ron decided to fly it...)  
  
The three climbed in and it was, also, roomy for the three of them. Mrs. Weasley backed the car up and then rode around the houses on a bumpy, probably hidden road onto the public roads.  
  
Harry looked around at all the muggles as they traveled through the muggle part of London. Harry hadn't been here for five years, in his first year, Hagrid, a friendly, a half giant, and Keeper of the Keys at Hogwarts had taken him this route to get his school supplies.   
  
Between two shops, was a sign that read `The Leaky Cauldron.' Though it was very hard to see, even being a wizard or witch.  
  
They walked in and Mrs. Weasley led them straight to the back. As they were walking across the bar, Harry saw a few strange people. A hag, a wizard with an extra eye, who Harry think was a permanent accident or perhaps didn't know it yet, and a wizard with a hat that had to be three feet tall.  
  
Finally, they went through the back door and then to a small alley with the brick wall and trash can. Mrs. Weasley pulled out her wand and tapped one of the bricks three times. A large hole appeared in the wall, light shown through it. "Well come on then." Mrs. Weasley said, stepping into Diagon Alley.  
  
People were walking around, everywhere. Wizards and witches, hags, and even a goblin or two.   
  
They stood there for a few minutes and gazed around, looking for Tonks. There were a lot of strange people around there, one was wearing bright orange robes had neon green hair. There was a very old man, walking around in blue clothes, that seemed to have water rippling on them.  
  
"Hey, I'm over here!" Tonks waved to them, as she came over in a small jog. "I had to interrogate Rita Skeeter about her next article on the Ministry." She smiled mischievously. "So! Off to Gringotts?"  
  
They walked down the long street, passing the Cauldron shop and Apothecary. While they were walking past the Owl Emporium, a large gray owl flew out with a witch calling after and chasing it. When they were passing the Quidditch Supply store, Harry and Hermione had to drag Ron from the window, where they were showing another firebolt hovering in midair. On a red satin pillow under it, was a Broom polishing kit, kind of like the one Harry got from Hermione in his third year.  
  
Twice, Harry almost lost the group because it was so crowded. But after about ten minutes, the group got to the Gringotts bank.  
  
Gringotts is the only wizarding bank guarded by goblins. Many say you would be insane to try and steal from them, and those who say this are probably right.  
  
Harry and the others climbed about twenty marble steps and reached two large bronze doors. They went inside and Harry quickly read the poem inscribed in the next set of doors quickly. When they went inside, Harry couldn't help letting out a small gasp of amazement. It seemed so big.  
  
The floors were a white marble, with gold in them. The walls were high and had a lot of glass in them, and at the top were very large golden chandeliers with a hundred candles each for lights.  
  
Along one wall was a very long counter that had to seat at least one hundred goblins, maybe more. Two of them near the front were Exchange lanes. Tonks took Hermione over to one of them, telling the Weasleys and Harry that they would meet back at the front of the bank.  
  
A goblin hopped off his stool and came around, motioning the three Weasleys and Harry into a cart, and surprisingly, they fit.  
  
They rushed down the tunnels in the cart, torches flying past them at least one hundred miles an hour. It only took a minute until the cart stopped with a sudden, rough jolt.  
  
They were at the Weasley's vault, 561. Harry was a little surprised when they opened the vault. There were a few small piles of sickles and two fairly decent sized mounds of sickles, and a handful of galleons. He smiled a bit for them, they deserved every knut they got.  
  
They boarded the vault once again and not long after did they stop at Harry's vault, 687.  
  
The goblin, a short, young one slowly unlocked and opened the door. Quickly, Harry grabbed a bunch of galleons, sickles, and knuts, blushing terribly and trying to get out of his vault as fast as possible. He felt a bit greedy because he couldn't give them any of his fortune, which they deserved, greatly.  
  
They boarded the cart again and this time they were going up through the tunnels at top speed. Harry could understand why Hagrid would get a little car sick (cart sick?) with all the torches flashing by and lights flickering, Harry himself felt a little dizzy from the rush.  
  
Hermione and Tonks were waiting for them by the door and the group walked down the steps. Now that their bags were filled with coins, they headed to the book store, Flourish and Blotts.   
  
Harry only had to get three new books. He checked out Protect and Defend from the Dark Arts, Advanced, The Advanced Book of Spells (Grade 6) by Miranda Goshawk, and Advancements in Potions by Arnold Jigger.  
  
He looked around at some books, while Ron, Hermione, and Ginny bought. Harry saw a rather interesting one about himself! `Harry Potter.' by Romeo DeCorsne. It was small, about Harry's past, present, and the possible future. He flipped through it and was relieved to find it wasn't personal and only dated to his first year of Hogwarts. It mainly covered the beginning of Voldemort's (Who the author always referred to as He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named.) rise, theories on how Harry defeated him and then defeating Voldemort in his first year.  
  
Though the story hadn't been personally, it made Harry quite uncomfortable to know that people knew about his life that he didn't know of. But then he remembered what Hermione had said in the early part of his first year, about her reading about him in several different books. Though he had never heard about a book that was just about himself!  
  
He continued to wander around the shop for a little bit, only slowly straying away from his friends. He looked at a shelf of books on Quidditch, when he heard a voice drawling behind him.  
  
"And if it isn't Potter here with his gang of friends. Can't go anywhere without your sidekicks, now can you?" Draco Malfoy, a few inches taller, but now shorter then Harry, came up to him with his usual cold sneer.   
  
"Awe, go to hell, Ferret Face." Harry rolled his eyes and began turning back to the shelf.  
  
"Oh! Potty is now using big words. I suppose you think your so big, because you narrowly escaped a couple of big bad Death Eaters?"  
  
"Your forgetting one of those Death Eaters was your daddy. Now go away, don't try picking a fight with me in here."  
  
"Oh what are you going to do about it?" Malfoy rolled his eyes and pretended to look scared.  
  
"I don't know about me, but if you get in trouble, Daddy is gone and you have no one to go cry to." Harry shot at him, and Draco seemed to realize this because he grew quiet for a moment.  
  
"Oh he'll be out of there, very quickly, I assure you. See you around, Potty." Malfoy turned heel and walked off.  
  
"Harry? Are you okay? Was that Malfoy?" Hermione asked him and Ron and Ginny followed up behind her.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine. I don't know if Ferret Face is though. I think I got him to be quiet, for now." Harry shrugged and saw Mrs. Weasley coming toward them. "Come on, let's go."  
  
They stopped for ice cream and Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor and sat on a patio table outside the shop. Harry had a vanilla cone with chocolate sprinkles which kept falling off it.   
  
"I'll let you on your own for awhile, all right? You cannot go into Knockturn Alley and don't go any farther then Gambol and Japes, okay? I'll meet you back here at 13.30, all right? (1:30 p.m. In German, the teacher said some countries in Europe use military time.) That gives you one hour. After the Apothecary, we'll visit your brothers are the store. Okay? And Ginny, I want you to stay with them or one of them at all times, got it?" Mrs. Weasley peered at her youngest and only daughter. Ginny sighed but nodded.  
  
Ron grinned and looked over at Harry, "Can we check out the Quality Quidditch Supplies? Please? As Quidditch captain, there might be some books or something. And with my savings I was thinking about buying a book or something there." He looked hopefully at Harry.  
  
Ginny sighed loudly and groaned. "I don't want to go to the Quidditch shop.." She tried not to whine, but failed.  
  
"Don't worry, Gin. How about me and you go to the Scribbulus Ever-changing Inks? It's right next to the Quidditch supplies." Hermione smiled at her friend. Ginny didn't have a choice. It was either staring at colorful parchment or listening to the boys rant on about Quidditch.  
  
"Well, all right. I think I need some new quills anyway. Most of mine are bent or broken." Ginny shrugged.  
  
"Great! Come on."  
  
The four split up into the shops and Harry and Ron walked into Quality Quidditch Supplies.  
  
The smell of new quaffles hit their noses as soon as they walked in. Harry looked around, they definitely had moved things around. There was a whole wall at the front of the store dedicated to safety. Mouth guards, gloves, knee pads, and elbow pads and a rack of free guides and books.  
  
Harry took one of the guides off a shelf and looked at it. He flipped through it, scanning it quickly and an crazy idea popped into his head. He took eight of them, since there was a whole box full, it wouldn't matter.  
  
Against another wall was a life size poster of a Quidditch stadium, with two teams Harry didn't know of. They seemed to be having a game, but not like the Quidditch World cup or anything, but people had come and were cheering the teams on. He watched as the beater suddenly hit a bludger straight in his path and he backed up. Though, as soon as it seemed like it would pop out of the picture, it swerved and went after one of the Quidditch players.  
  
Harry turned his back from the poster to show Ron, but he couldn't find him.   
  
Ron had strayed away and Harry had to look all over to find him. He saw his friend who was looking at: Surprise, surprise. It was a poster of the Chudley Cannons. All seven of the players were flying and throwing the quaffle about. Harry had to drag Ron away from a Chudley Cannons jacket.  
  
They went to the back of the store, where a lot of people were gathered an exhibit of some sort.  
  
"Excuse me, sorry. Harry, come on!" Ron was moving toward the front, pulling Harry along with him. "Whoa." Ron said, coming to a halt.  
  
"Whoa." Harry mimicked him in surprise, Ron was right. There stood the most /perfect/ broom hovering very gently above it's pillow.  
  
The handle and seat were a deep mahogany tone, each twig was straight and stiff and Harry could almost feel the soft touch the wood would have, being so smooth and perfect. Harry could see his own reflection in the handle. There was a small sign under the hovering broom.  
  
  
  
---  
  
WIND RIDER!  
  
Best of the best, fastest of the fast, smoothest of the smooth, is the Wind Rider. Diamond-Hard Polish with a supreme wood treatment, unbreakable for you rowdy kids, and hand made and number with it's own registered number. Each twig is individually selected with birch and ash combined, to give it extreme aerodynamics and easy control. Balancing charms are perfect when you have to lean over and grab that snitch! Or stop that quaffle! The WIND RIDER had an acceleration of up to 175 miles per hour in 8.7 seconds! Price On Request.  
  
---  
  
Again, Harry and Ron repeated, "Whoa."  
  
"Harry, there is no way I could - maybe you couldn't afford this. It's amazing. How much did your firebolt cost?"  
  
"I dunno, but this has to be a lot worse. Knowing Malfoy, he probably made captain by buying the whole team new Wind Riders." Harry tried not to sound bitter, but knowing Malfoy? He just might.  
  
"You know what, Ron? It's a great broom and all, but I like mine better. I'd probably put the firebolt somewhere for safe keeping if my old one never got sliced." Harry smiled a bit.  
  
"Do you still have the twig?" Ron asked.  
  
"Yep."  
  
"Harry." Ron grinned and slugged his friend playfully in the arm. "Come on, we outta get out of here, don't you think?"  
  
Harry and Ron went outside and stood by the stationery shop to wait for the two girls.  
  
"How can they take so long in a shop with parchment and quills?" Ron asked, looking at a fake watch that wasn't there.  
  
"I dunno, it's a girl thing." Harry shrugged along with his friend. Harry was looking around and saw Cho Chang, a pretty seventh year in Ravenclaw. Ever since Sirius' death last year, in relationships, Harry had been a bit aloof. Even now, Harry didn't feel that nervous flutter in the pit of his stomach. "Hey Cho, Hey Michael." He said. Michael Corner was Ginny's old boyfriend and Cho's new one.   
  
"Hey Ron, is Ginny still going out with Dean?"  
  
"Nope. She dumped him in a letter over the summer. He didn't seem all that upset in his reply. Why? Are you interested in her?" Ron looked at his friend hopefully. Ron was overprotective with his sister and only wanted Harry to go out with her because he didn't trust anyone else.  
  
"Nah, I was just thinking about her." Harry shook his head the minute he said that. "Stop smiling. Knock it off, Ron!"  
  
"Knock what off?" Hermione asked, she and Ginny shutting the door of the stationery shop.  
  
Ron grinned at Ginny like Christmas came early. "Oh nothing, nothing at all." Then he looked at his pretend watch. "Hey Hermione, do you have the time?"  
  
Hermione shifted her bag to her other hand and looked at her watch. "It's 13.10, now. We still have about twenty minutes. Why don't we check out the center fountain? They put it up two years ago. I hear it's supposed to be quite lovely, though I never saw it. It's near Gringotts and I think I saw a glimpse of it as we were going in." Ginny nodded and looked at them.  
  
"Sure, come on."  
  
They made their way past the crowds, which was a little easier because the wizards and witches were probably going home or back to work from their lunch breaks. Yet it still took them a few minutes to get to the fountain and at first it was like The Leaky Cauldron, almost hard to see unless you looked for the right thing. Maybe that's why, when they got there, there were very few other people.  
  
The fountain and statues were amazing. They had to be at least ten feet high and the water squirting out of the top had to be another three or four feet. There were two statues, one of a man who had to be the founder of Diagon Alley, and a very elegant witch. Water sprouted from their wands and tips of their shoes. It was a very interesting exhibit.  
  
"Hey look, there are coins in here! This must be one of those muggle Wishing Hells!" Ron said, pulling out a knut.  
  
"Wishing Wells, Ron. Wishing /W/ells." Hermione and Harry snorted a bit, trying to sustain their laughter.  
  
Harry was about to put in a sickle when he jumped back. High green flame admitted over the water and tried to catch him on fire, shooting his way. He gasped when he saw the head of Voldemort in the fire. But as soon as the flame erupted, they were gone.  
  
"Harry.. what was that?" Hermione asked him, looking astonished and pale.. Ron and Ginny hadn't seen it and they looked quite confused.   
  
"Seen what? What did you two see?" Ron scratched his head, looking completely puzzled.  
  
Harry ignored Ron for a minute and pulled Hermione closer to him. In a hushed voice he asked her, "Did you see Voldemort's head in there?" She looked at him with the same confused look as Ron.  
  
"No.. I-I saw the green flames and all, but I didn't see his head. P-Perhaps, since you had a recent encounter with him, since you saw him last, you saw his head in there, thinking the flames came from him. I don't know, maybe it was a trick of the eye. I never read of green flames like that.." Hermione stuttered, but only a little bit. "I think we better go."  
  
"What were you guys talking about?" Ginny asked them, looking confused. "And why are you guys so pale?"  
  
"Did you see flames sprout out from the fountain?" Harry asked them, but they shook their heads.  
  
"No.. all I did was put a knut in, grin at Ron, and all of a sudden you and Hermione spring back."   
  
"Oh.. Well.. Don't worry about it Gin, Ron." Hermione nodded, trying to smooth everything out. "It was probably just a trick of the light or something."  
  
But deep down, Harry didn't think it had anything to do with the light. He could have sworn he had seen Voldemort's head, but perhaps.. Hermione was probably right. The head had to be Harry's imagination.  
  
"Well come on, we better get back to Mum or she'll kill us for being a minute late." Ginny said.  
  
They made their way back to the ice cream parlor and met Mrs. Weasley and Tonks who were already there waiting for them.  
  
"Finally!" Mrs. Weasley stood up and they headed for the Apothecary to get some potion ingredients on the school list.  
  
Harry looked at his list as they entered the shop and plugged his nose. The place smelled heavily of onions and rotten egg shells, and another smell he couldn't place.   
  
They had to get two teaspoons of powdered unicorn horn, which alone cost one galleon, a package of jobberknoll feathers at sixteen sickles, and a five ounce bottle of Bundimun secretion.  
  
The shop owner was Mr. Lubberstone, and he was a very nice man. He showed Harry a very old dragon claw that was said to bring good luck to a good person or bad luck to a bad person. Harry asked him casually if he had known anything about a potion to make Green Flames, but Mr. Lubberstone hadn't known of any recent potions like that.  
  
Mrs. Weasley and Tonks wanted to check out a few beautiful robes in Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, or at least to window shop. The kids followed the adults but stayed a bit behind to talk amongst themselves.  
  
"Now, what happened?" Ginny asked Harry and Hermione.  
  
"Well, I was looking into the water and I saw all the knuts and sickles and galleons, and then all of a sudden, the water turned green and the green flames shot out. I had to jump back and all. The flames were there for a few seconds and I could have sworn I saw Voldemort (Ron flinched.) in the fire. Maybe I was seeing things, but the image seemed there to me." Harry sighed and shrugged.  
  
"Wouldn't your scar have hurt is Voldemort was that close?" Ron asked him.  
  
"That's one of the weird things. It didn't hurt at all.." Everyone was quiet for a moment as they followed Mrs. Weasley and Tonks.  
  
"Maybe you should talk to Moody or someone. Someone in the Order should be informed." Hermione said as they were walking out of the robes shop. Mrs. Weasley and Tonks were empty handed, but were chatting about some fancy robes that were on sale, though had no use for them.  
  
"Well, when we get back. But not right now." Harry shook his head. Harry would tell Moody. Yeah, Moody would know what to do. Probably. Hopefully. 


	4. Back to Hogwarts

Chapter 4. Back to Hogwarts  
  
The next few weeks and month were a bit boring. The Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione all cleaned around the house, but there wasn't much to do, seeing as the Order was having a few meetings to discuss 'things.' which Harry, Hermione, and Ron were still not allowed to know about.  
  
As Harry and the others were cleaning out one of the spare bedrooms while the adults were having a meeting, he thought a bit bitterly. I have been through a lot more then some of them have. Why can't we just go to one of the meetings? There is not much harm it can do, can it? Harry dropped a box we was carrying into the room rather heavily. We can-I can take listening to it.  
  
Harry wanted to go outside, but never could since they were in the muggle part of London and what he really wanted to do was fly. On rainy days when they didn't have to clean, Harry would be in the living room or in the room he shared with Ron thinking of plans for Quidditch. One day while he was reading Quidditch Through the Ages, (He had bought it at Flourish and Blotts.) he suddenly remembered he had a Charms essay to write. He had been so busy with cleaning, coming to the Order, and thinking about Quidditch, he had forgotten his work.  
  
The day before the day the train would leave for Hogwarts, the Grimmauld place was very busy. Everyone was doing last minute packing, Mrs. Weasley was checking to make sure everyone had enough socks, and there was a lot of shouting for missing quills and everything else that could be possibly missing.  
  
"Has anyone seen my extra robes?"  
  
"Where are the rest of my quills?"  
  
"Here Crookshanks.. come here boy..."  
  
A bit before dinner, Harry was giving his firebolt one last shine. He sat on his low bed thing, polishing the handle so he could see his reflection. He grinned into it then snorted, feeling like a little Gilderoy Lochart.  
  
Harry had to admit, this year was going to be a bit harder and he was nervous. With all the Quidditch and work and probably Voldemort or something. He groaned and flopped on his back on the bed.  
  
"Harry.. Supper's ready." Hermione said, staring at him from the door way. "Are you all right?"  
  
"I'm fine.." Harry hoisted himself from the bed and put his broomstick away, then followed her downstairs and to the table.  
  
Dinner was very good, Harry had to say. They had a thick beef and vegetable soup with buns and for dessert, Mrs. Weasley made a chocolate cake and baked cookies that were chewy and delicious.  
  
"Hey, Harry, can I have a word?" Remus Lupin asked after dinner, as they were heading to their bedrooms.  
  
"Uh sure, what is it?" Harry asked as they walked into the halls. Harry began to get a little worried.  
  
Remus turned to Harry and looked at him. "I won't pressure you Harry, but if your ever, EVER worried, about ANYTHING, I'm here and I'm willing to talk, all right? And please don't go looking for trouble. I know, I know. Trouble tends to find you. But please don't provoke it, all right?"  
  
Harry stared at Professor Lupin. "I don't /provoke it!/ It just finds me. I can't help it, I'm like a magnet. I-"  
  
"I understand that, Harry. Just.. just promise me you WON'T go looking for trouble? If you find anything, anything at all weird, please let me know. Okay? One of the Order, anyone?" Lupin looked at him and Harry sighed.  
  
"Okay, okay. I promise."  
  
Remus nodded and Harry headed off to bed, looking forward to the next day, despite that he was scared.  
  
The next day didn't really start as an easy one. More like a loud one. And painful one.  
  
Harry was sleeping peacefully for a change, no dreams, no nightmares, no loud shrieks from his aunt. For now, life was good. Sleep was good. But then... BBRRIINNNGGG!!!  
  
Harry had been about a fourth of awake at that time and rolled over in surprise, falling out of bed with a loud thump. He looked up and saw Hermione in the middle of their room with an alarm clock. Ron was wide eyed with surprise and rubbing his eyes now.  
  
"Think you could've warned me, 'Mione?" Harry grumbled, rubbing his eyes and sat up, searching for his classes on the table.  
  
Harry and Ron washed up and got changed pretty quickly, grumbling all the way. Ron was the most disgruntled muttering, "Damned arm clocks." And something about the things muggles create, sounding suspiciously like his father.   
  
Harry and Ron came down to breakfast when everyone was there, Hermione and Ginny have something of a smirk on. Harry ignored them until he got a bit paranoid, glancing at them out of the corner of his eye.   
  
"And WHAT is so funny?"  
  
"Oh nothing, Harry. I was just telling Gin about the little alarm clock thing. She heard it down in our room." Hermione couldn't help but bite her lip when she looked at Ron who was very annoyed.  
  
They ate their cold pizza in silence. It had been Tonks' idea to have the pizza (She went out and ordered it the night before.) because from that day to the end of the school year, they would eat almost the same thing for breakfast. Every single day. Eggs, toast, cereal, or pancakes for the next school year.  
  
Ron didn't want to leave one of his favorite Chudley Cannons poster behind. ("It HAS THEIR NAMES ON IT!" "You already have two in the trunk already!")  
  
Then they were five minutes later then they attended to be, because Hermione couldn't find Crookshanks. But she did, under her bed.  
  
After all the trunks were loaded, Harry, Hermione, Ginny, Ron, and Mrs. Weasley, loaded into the car next, which, again, was a very easy fit. (Thanks Arthur!)   
  
"Maybe you could come to the Grimmauld place for Christmas, yes? Some kids around the house will definitely liven it up." Mrs. Weasley said, looking into the rear view mirror. "You to Harry, Hermione."  
  
Harry looked into her eyes from the mirror and could see the pain. She loved her kids, Harry and Hermione, too. It was hard for her to see the leave every year, but probably harder this time because she had almost lost all of them last year.   
  
Harry looked out the corner of his eye and saw Hermione biting her lip and looking at her hands. Her parents probably'd want her for Christmas, but she wouldn't want to let Mrs. Weasley down.  
  
The ride, other than for some comments and a little bit of talking, was quiet. Harry sat by the window and stared out, looking over the many fields and meadows. Ron was tapping his fingers on his knee, Ginny was sitting in the front, staring at the dashboard, and Hermione was staring out the window on the other side.  
  
Harry blinked for a minute, stupidly. There was absolutely nothing to do. How would he survive a trip to Hogwarts?  
  
After the quiet ride, the group unloaded their trunks and put them on trolleys and began making their way down to the platforms nine and ten. As usual, the place was 'packed with muggles.'  
  
Harry glanced at a clock above one of the platforms. They still had ten minutes to get there and they were now passing platform two.  
  
Seven.. eight.. nine.. ten. There we go.  
  
"All right, Ginny, Ron, you go first. After you two, Harry and Hermione. Now off you go." Mrs. Weasley said. "And then I'll come after you."  
  
Ginny took a breath and she and Ron inched their way to the invisible platform. They pretended to chat and casually slipped through the barrier. Harry took a breath and pretended to veer with his trolley past the platform, but instead went straight through to the other side and felt Hermione come in soon after.  
  
There on the tracks sat a large, scarlet and shiny train. It let out a whistle of warning and Mrs. Weasley called the kids.  
  
In turn she gave each of them a hug. "Now I want you to be good, got it? And write, you to Harry, Hermione. /Stay out of trouble./ Have a good time!" Mrs. Weasley said as they walked off. Harry wondered how weird it looked, a redhead mother, two redhead kids with freckles, and then two others who looked nothing alike?   
  
The group lugged their large brown trunks, cages, and carriers down the narrow halls of the train, trying to find an empty compartment near the back. They reached the utmost far back compartment and what do you know, Loony Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbottom.  
  
"Hey you guys." Neville smiled sheepishly at them and blushed a bit, remembering the recent events from last year. Luna looked at them dreamily, yet, remembering last year, there was no trace of a smile on her face.  
  
"Hey Neville, Luna. We have to go to the Prefects compartment and then make our rounds. As sixth years, we might not have to do as much." Ron said, looking hopeful and pinning on his prefect badge, as he was pulling on his robes. "We'll see you guys in a bit."  
  
Hermione put her robes on and smiled quickly at Harry. "We SHOULD get back a little earlier then last time."  
  
They disappeared behind the door and Harry could see the back of Hermione's head get smaller as they walked on. He sighed and looked at the others. "So.. how was your summer?"  
  
"Fine." Neville said softly, not looking at Harry's eyes.  
  
"Oh, mine was nice. Me and my father hunted down Crunkle Eared Cranes." Luna said in that same dreamy voice, but still, she didn't smile.  
  
"So.. did you get your things that were missing, back?" Harry asked, looking at Luna. She smiled a bit and nodded.  
  
"Oh, yes. Except my necklace, Pansy Parkinson still has it. She's a Slytherin. She said she would give me detention if I didn't give her the necklace." Luna said, a little sadly.  
  
"Well that's stupid. You should make her give it to you. So what if she gives you detention? You can explain it all to Mr. Flitwick." (Anyone know the Head of House for Ravenclaw?) Ginny exclaimed, narrowing her eyes in anger at Pansy. Pansy Parkinson was one of the Slytherin prefects.  
  
Luna just looked at Ginny and shrugged. "I don't mind, really. It's just not nice." She sighed. "But I want my necklace back.."  
  
"Well then, we'll help you get it back! Won't we? Harry, Neville?" Ginny asked, looking at them.  
  
"Oh um.. yeah." Neville said in a tiny voice and looked at Harry.  
  
"Sure.. we.. will..." He said with vagueness and saw Luna smile excitedly.   
  
"Oh thank you, guys! This is so wonderful! Thank you! My mum gave it to me when I was eight.." Luna then frowned, but only a little bit. Luna Lovegood had long, dark blonde hair that hung below her waist and a soft and dreamy face, that always made her look spacey. Mr. Lovegood was the editor for a goofy magazine, The Quibbler.  
  
"So, Harry, what did you get with O.W.L.S?" Neville Longbottom was a bit short and fairly plump. He had a round, nervous face and was very forgetful. His parents were in St. Mungos, they were Aurors, driven insane from torture by Death Eaters. He lived with his grandmother.  
  
"I got fourteen O.W.L.S, I'm thinking about being an Auror. What about you?" Harry asked Neville, Luna and Ginny didn't have O.W.L.S yet, and were chatting a bit away from them, smiling a little bit.  
  
"Wow, fourteen? I got ten, I'm thinking about becoming a.. Healer." Neville said softly. Healers, like muggle nurses, tended always be considered feminine jobs, though there were some male nurses. ( I am NOT discriminating. I am stating the truth, don't flame! ANY MALE NURSES OUT THERE: YOU ROCK! X) ).  
  
"Really?" Ginny whipped her head around, looking at him and a few strands of red hair fell down on her shoulders. "I was thinking about being a Healer, too!" She smiled at him eagerly. "Maybe you could tutor me?" She asked, looking hopeful. The Weasleys hadn't much money and Harry thought Ginny was looking forward to getting a job and having money of her own.  
  
"Sure.." Neville smiled sheepishly at her. Harry saw that he seemed proud, proud to have someone look to him for help or advice. Harry tried to surprises a smile that was tightening quickly on his face. Neville turned to Luna.  
  
"So what do you want to be?"  
  
Everyone in the compartment (excluding Luna, of course.) all thought she'd want to follow in her father's footsteps and become a writer or editor for The Quibbler. Or maybe explore lands in search for the crazy creatures her father came up with. Boy were they wrong.  
  
"Well.." She said, looking almost nervous as she took a strand of her long straight hair in her fingers. "I was thinking about being in the Ministry. Maybe on the Council, or an Unspeakable, perhaps." She shrugged and Ginny let out a tiny giggle.  
  
"I'm.. sorry." Ginny said, putting a hand over her mouth. Harry had to admit, Luna didn't seem all the serious. Being in Ravenclaw, she was not dizty, and had to be quite intelligent. But just the way she acted and talked, it made her seem well.. clueless, almost. But Luna was very nice.  
  
"A lot of people.." She went on quietly, "Think I'm crazy to think about such things. I hear what they call me, Loony Luna Lovegood. You think that, don't you?" She said. Harry had to admit, the name came across his mind sometimes. "I don't mind it, really. But it's not true." She was quiet, but still had that soft, dreamy voice of hers that floated as if on water.  
  
Ginny looked down, as if ashamed. "I know.. I'm sorry, Luna." Harry and Neville nodded their agreements and both looked down, but for only a moment.   
  
Ginny suddenly grinned, as she looked at Harry. "Harry's the new Quidditch captain!"  
  
"Way to go, Harry." Neville patted Harry on the back, grinning. "Me? I couldn't fly a broom at all.."  
  
"That's good, Harry. I'm sure you'll be a great captain." Luna smiled dazily at him, drifting off into her dream world.  
  
Harry pushed his glasses up and then blinked, feeling his scar give off an odd sense. He could feel it, but there was no pain, Harry just felt his scar was there. Like an arm, a finger. You know it's there, you can tell it's attached to you. He shut his eyes, feeling a little confused then opened them.  
  
"Okay, were back!" Ron bounded into the room, followed by Hermione. For now, they pulled off their robes and fell onto the empty seats and greeted the others, once again.  
  
The whole bunch, for a change, was chatting animatedly, going over summers, schools, Quidditch, any little random things to kill the long, boringness of time. After awhile, after Ron and Hermione had come back, the food trolley came by.  
  
Ron just bought a pumpkin pastry, ("I'm saving my money!") while Ginny bought some chocolate frogs, Luna got some chocolate frogs and licorice, Hermione bought some small cakes, and Harry and Neville got a little bit of everything.  
  
"I finally got Professor Dumbledore!" Luna exclaimed away, showing them the card, as if they never saw the headmaster before. She read the little description on the back of the card and then waved to the photographed Dumbledore as he walked out of the picture.  
  
"You only got Dumbledore /now/?" Ron said, looking at her. Harry had three Dumbledore's, his card, along with Morgana and a few others, were quite popular. "How long have you been collecting?"  
  
"Ever since I was ten, it became a bit of a hobby. I never got Dumbledore, before. I need about fifteen or so cards to finish the complete set." Luna said, pulling something from a bag of hers. It was like a photo album, only it had all the cards she ever collected . It had to be two inches thick!  
  
"Whoa.." All three of the boys said as Ron took the album and began to flip through it.   
  
"You've got Agrippa! And Raoul! How did you find them? They are pretty rare!" He exclaimed, again, looking at all the different cards. Some of the people in them were waving to the boys, some were sleeping, and some weren't even there.  
  
Luna shrugged and tried to take the album back from Ron, who was still staring at all the cards. "I don't know, in a frog, I guess."  
  
"But all those cards.." He muttered in awe.  
  
"Heh, come on, Ron. You have to let go." Harry said. Ron quickly realized what he was doing and let go of the album, muttering a 'sorry.' about it. Luna shrugged as she placed it in her trunk.  
  
"So, have any of you seen the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor?" Neville asked them, looking a little nervous now.   
  
It was quite funny, really. Defense Against the Dark Arts was considered an unlucky position because no one ever seemed to get a permanent job. One was a Death Eater, one was self obsessed and now had a memory loss, one was a werewolf, one was an impostor, and the last one had been crazy. The position was getting harder to fill, year after year.  
  
"No.. I haven't seen.. it. I hope it isn't another Umbridge. I'd rather have a vampire as a teacher." Harry said, shaking his head. In his first four years, all the professors had been men. The last one had been a woman, but she went crazy and ran off last year. Everyone looked over to the prefects, Ron and Hermione.  
  
"We never saw him." Ron shook his head.  
  
"Or /her./" Hermione corrected him. "At the prefects meetings, Professor Mcgonagall is the one who talks to us, seeing as she is the Deputy Headmistress. On the train and in a few meetings, we only see the Head of Houses. Occasionally the whole staff, but that tends to be with the Head Boy and Girl."  
  
"Hey... Hermione, how does all that prefect stuff work? I mean.. what do you guys do differently from the Head Boy and Girl?" Ginny asked, looking at her friend.  
  
"Hmm.." Hermione thought of how to explain it. "Well, the teachers, you could say, are at the top of the chain. Then there is the Head Boy and Girl, then the prefects and then the students. All of us can form ideas and then the teachers will discuss it and then talk it over with the Head Boy and girl. They need the Heads because they are closer to us in age, they are still kids.. well technically, like us in a way. So they will talk it over and if it's something to do, like a Hogsmeade trip, then the prefects go to a meeting and are told how to supervise or meetings to do rounds or something."  
  
"You'll probably be Head Girl, 'Mione. With your grades and all." Ginny said.  
  
"The Head Boy will be either Ron or Harry or.." Neville then said the last part quietly. "Malfoy."  
  
"Malfoy?" Everyone stared and exclaimed in surprise, except Luna, who seemed to understand. Was Neville off his rocker? His father was a Death Eater! Professor couldn't be that mad, could he? Well.. then again. He did have all sorts of teachers...  
  
"Well, yeah. Perhaps one of the Ravenclaw or Hufflepuffs, but it would mostly likely be the ones I said. Malfoy is pretty smart and Hermione, you know that. I'm pretty sure he didn't get the position as a prefect with money; Dumbledore isn't like that. But it will all depend on this year, seeing if he grows up a bit."  
  
"His father didn't grow up, did he?" Harry muttered under his breath and Neville just shrugged.  
  
"I'm not saying that Dumbledore will have him as the Head Boy, but it could happen."  
  
Everyone shrugged and nodded, then Hermione looked out the window. "We better get our robes on, were getting pretty close to the school." She said. The boys had to go outside the compartment while the three girls changed and then they switched.  
  
"So you're going to be the Quidditch captain, Harry? Dean and Seamus are more of the spectators and the girls, well the girls... Ginny is okay, but the others wouldn't want to go into it. I guess you'll have to look in the fifth and down. I'd start early though. Most of the team is going to be new.."   
  
"Ginny was thinking about being the Chaser, I wonder how Mcgonagall knew that.." Harry said, pulling on his sweater.  
  
"Probably from Angelina. A few times, after Herbology me and Ginny would chat and she was always saying she was trying to get you to be the seeker. I don't think she'd be bad as a chaser." Neville said, tying up his robes.  
  
"Probably, Dad was a chaser, Bill and Charlie were on the team, so were Fred and George and me." Ron said, waiting for the others to finish getting ready.  
  
When the boys were done, the girls came in and sat down, waiting to go get the to castle. Soon, the large school came into view and Harry couldn't help but look up to it and grin, it was so big and massive.  
  
When the train stopped, the six climbed off together and walked down through the mud ("Why does it always rain when we get here?") toward the thresals and carriages.   
  
Harry looked around for Hagrid, getting worried with each second he didn't see him. But then he heard the faint, "First years o'er 'ere! First years o'er 'ere!" And saw his large, half giant friend.  
  
"Hey, Hagrid! Hagrid!" Harry and the others waved to him excitedly. He stopped in the middle of 'years' and looked up at them, roaring a hello over the rain and a wave to them.  
  
Harry took his attention from Hagrid and began to head for the carriages. The six people climbed into the carriage, fitting comfortably. Almost as soon as Neville shut the door, the carriage pulled off with the others, bumping along in the mud and on the rocks.  
  
The ride was quiet and rather bumpy, Harry could smell the old hay and dew.   
  
The carriage slowed down to a stop, and the group climbed off and made their way toward the entrance doors, where they were quickly lead to their tables. Luna waved goodbye to them and skipped off to the Ravenclaw table. Harry and the others sat down with the other Gryffindors and immediately Hermione walked around the table for a minute, greetings the two new Gryffindor Prefects, Collin Creevy, a small, excited boy with mousy brown hair, and Megan Jaycee, a girl of the same size with long, light brown hair.  
  
After a few minutes the new first years came in, almost all of them looked at least a little bit nervous. They were all looking around, at the ghosts, the other students, and the ceiling, which was charmed to mimic whatever the weather was outside.  
  
Professor Mcgonagall fetched the Sorting Hat and a three legged stool, setting the hat on top of it.  
  
Everyone was silent as they stared at the old and frayed hat. There was more silence for a moment or two, until the sorting hat's brim opened and it began to sing.  
  
/Though I'm old and frayed,  
  
Once a year, on your head I'm laid.  
  
You may think it's funny,  
  
That I know where you'll be,  
  
But be in no doubt, I have a mind.  
  
So give me a chance and see.  
  
Long ago, before you were born,  
  
Were four best friends at heart.  
  
Never did they think,  
  
Would they grow apart.  
  
It all began when each had a thought,  
  
A different idea, each they had,  
  
never agreeing.. so they fought.  
  
Gryffindor did say, the bravest we shall seek.  
  
Ravenclaw, claimed instead,  
  
For those with knowledge in their head.  
  
Slytherin wanted those of pure,  
  
no different then another,  
  
Hufflepuff would take all others,  
  
So fair and wise like a smart mother.  
  
For the longest time,  
  
On Gryffindor's head I lay,  
  
to watch them fight and bicker,  
  
till I heard one day what he had to say,  
  
The idea that brought them together.  
  
'I have it!' Said he, and taking me off his head,  
  
'All of us in one and one of us in all.'  
  
Together they gave me a mind of my very own,  
  
And now I get to choose where you belong.  
  
Don't fear, I've never been wrong.  
  
The hat fell silent once more and the Great Hall broke into cheers for the smart cap. It bowed to each of the tables with the tip of it's hat, then it fell silent and still once more.  
  
"When I call your name, you will come up and be sorted, then go directly to your table. Ari, Matthew!"  
  
A plump boy walked over and soon after was sorted into Ravenclaw.  
  
"Alberts, Sarah." A girl with frizzy black hair went under the Sorting Hat.  
  
"HUFFLEPUFF!"  
  
Harry, for a minute, drifted away from the sorting, thinking about the Sorting Hat's song. Last year it had been much different, warning about Unity and becoming one. This time it seemed, in the beginning, that they broke away because of a fight. Though the Hat didn't dwell to much on it..  
  
Harry looked around, a few new students had been sorted into the Houses, and they had four new Gryffindors themselves.  
  
A bunch of new students were sorted into the houses, Hufflepuff had the most and Harry counted nine.   
  
"Zeus, Ally." Was the last name called. A fairly tall, pale and nervous looking girl with glasses and long curly dark blonde hair walked over toward the Sorting Hat and sat on the stool. From what he could see, she was shaking like a leaf. Harry had a feeling that she had thought the same thing he had before he was being sorted. What if he didn't get sorted at all? If they just whipped the hat off his head and told him to pack his bags and leave?  
  
The hat sat on the girl's head for the longest time and then finally shouted "GRYFFINDOR!" Harry clapped with the other students and from the look on Ally's face, the shout must have scared her.  
  
Professor Dumbledore stood up and gave his usual speech, warning about the rules and halls and things. Ron nudged Harry and nodded over to the professor's table at the new professor.  
  
It was a fairly young woman, with short, dirty blonde hair. She was pale, but looked fairly nice. She seemed tall and was fairly plump, but didn't appear to be much like Umbridge. She had been trying to talk to Snape, but was failing in an attempt of much conversation. If Snape didn't like her, she must be okay.  
  
"Most of you now know that Lord Voldemort (most people cringed) has now returned. Throughout the year, the Ministry of Magic will come by and having brief meetings, discussing things that have happened. Professor Sombra," Dumbledore motioned to the short haired blonde woman, "Will be teaching the other sixth and seventh years, along with the advanced. I hope you welcome her and listen closely, because Defense Against the Dark Arts, at this time.. is one of your most important classes." He said very quietly.  
  
There was a pause and then he said, lightening the mood, "My last words to you are Enjoy the feast!" He clapped and large plates of food appeared on the tables, it all looked delicious and Harry couldn't wait to eat. His stomach rumbled.  
  
He piled turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, pork, carrots, ham, steak, bread, and anything else you could think of. They all ate and talked and all, but Harry was much more quiet, thinking about what Dumbledore had said about the war.  
  
He had tried to put Sirius out of his mind, it made him upset. The last thing he wanted to do was break down at the Gryffindor table in front of everyone. Real good way to make an impression on the first years and anyone willing to be on the Gryffindor Quidditch team.   
  
Luckily he didn't have to think of Sirius at the moment, because Professor Mcgonagall had come over to the table and looked down at him. He could almost see a trace of a smile on her face.  
  
"Well.. Harry. I see you didn't send a letter back, so I assume you accept the position of Quidditch captain? I hope you'll start early. Two of the chasers and the beaters are now gone, so you'll have to practice. If you want, I will give you permission to have the Pitch for a few days? And Ronald, I need to speak with you first thing in the morning, before breakfast." Mcgonagall said. Ron nodded slowly.  
  
"Well.. I was thinking about Tryouts on Friday and then on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and next Friday have practices.." Harry said, spilling all the information out. He had really gotten to thinking about Quidditch, lately.  
  
"All right then, Friday and the next week I can schedule for you, since it's extremely early. See you in the morning, Mr. Weasley." With that, she turned and went back to the staff table.  
  
"What was that about, /Ronald/?" Harry asked his friend, lifting an eyebrow.  
  
"I half nob ibeada." Ron said, shoveling in mashed potatoes. When the last plate was cleared, the deserts came out.  
  
Harry had ice cream, strawberries, a doughnut, fudge brownies, and apple pie, not to mention a few other things.  
  
All the way, he, Ron, and Hermione (Colin was leading the first years upstairs) yawned and stretched tiredly from the heavy food as they went upstairs to the Gryffindor Common Room.  
  
Once they got there, with a few good-byes, they headed to their dormitories.  
  
Harry got undressed and didn't bother unpacking (except to take out his pajamas.) As soon as he hit the pillow, he fell into a heavy and sound sleep. 


	5. DADA

Chapter 5. DADA  
  
The next morning was the start of classes and when the schedules were being handed out.   
  
When Harry and Hermione came down, Ron was no where to be seen. Harry assumed Ron was still talking to Professor Mcgonagall. When the two sat down to breakfast, they got their schedules which were the same since Hermione got to drop Arithmacy and Ancient Runes.  
  
"Hmm.. Advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts, double period, first thing in the morning. And it's the same thing after lunch on Friday." Hermione said, looking at her schedule. "Doesn't say who we have it with.."   
  
"We have Advanced Double Potions after lunch.. right after lunch. Then I'll hurl all over Snape.." Harry groaned and Hermione rolled her eyes. "Then we have it again on Thursday, first thing in the morning.."  
  
Most of their classes, since they had dropped the extra classes (except Care of Magical Creatures) and only had History of Magic once a week, most of the classes were all double periods, except Herbology and Astronomy, which were the normal times.  
  
As they looked over the schedules, Ron came rushing over to them, bumping into a few second and third years, waving a white piece of parchment around which had to be his schedule.  
  
"I talked to Mcgonagall for about an hour and she was telling me about the Auror thing and about my grades. I do have advanced Transfiguration with you guys now and Potions, too. But I will have to do a little extra work, for Snape especially." Ron looked more excited then mad, his cheeks had a little pink in them from the excitement and from running.  
  
"We have DADA right after breakfast." Hermione said after congratulating him and promising to help them. They had cereal for breakfast because it was a bit light and no one was really hungry from the previous night's feast.   
  
"Uh oh. Here comes Malfoy." Harry heard Neville say to them as Draco Malfoy and his sidekicks, Crabbe and Goyle came marching up to Harry.  
  
Draco sneered down at Harry with the usual cold glint in his eye. "Well Potter, I hear you made Quidditch captain. I don't really know why, they could use Weasel's broom and make a better captain out of it then you."  
  
Ron was about to stand up but Harry and Hermione held him down. "At least he didn't have to buy his way up to captain, Malfoy." Ron said through gritted teeth. "Your just jealous because you didn't have your Daddy there to dangle seven new firebolt's in front of the Slytherin teams' faces."  
  
"You shut your mouth about my father, Weasel. At least he could-can afford a good quality broom. Seven in fact."  
  
"Money isn't everything, Malfoy. It can't buy you any skills." Harry said.  
  
"Wouldn't matter anyway, Harry would still be able to kick Malfoy's behind." Hermione said, boldly, preparing for the usual Mudblood remark.  
  
"What would you know about money or Quidditch, Mudblood? All you know is who wrote what in the Encyclopedia of Teacher's pets." Malfoy shot and laughed. Strangely enough, Harry laughed, too. But for a different reason.  
  
"You know, Malfoy, you are sounding /so/ childish." Harry snorted and shook his head. "Grow up, Ferret Boy."  
  
"Come on, Harry, Ron. Let's get to class. The last thing I need to do is hurl my breakfast before second period." Hermione said, standing up and dragged her two friends out of there before they could cause havoc on Draco.  
  
They twisted their way around students who were slowly milling around, talking in clumps in the hallways, and others running about.  
  
They climbed up the stairs to different floors and down the halls toward the Defense Against the Dark Arts, but the halls were abandoned, everyone was still at breakfast.  
  
When they got in the classroom, Professor Sombra wasn't there. On her desk were some papers, a grade book, some quills, books, and an unopened box, stilling waiting to be put away.  
  
Along the shelves were already books lined against one another, and another box or two, most likely filled with even more books.  
  
In the back of the room was a large cabinet, roughly the size of a wardrobe or something like that. The shiny wooden cabinet looked out of place with the old, dusty desks and tables and cold walls.  
  
Harry, Hermione, and Ron were the first ones there. They took seats somewhere in the middle and pulled out their DADA books and waited for the teacher. Hermione glanced at the clock.  
  
"We still have fifteen minutes till breakfast is over.." She said, rather surprised. It had been a good idea, or Ron and Harry would have gotten riled up right before class, which was not a good idea.  
  
"Oh, here already? Well that's three students I won't have to worry about being late." Professor Sombra said, carrying a box from the open door and placing it on one of the shelves. She had a nice voice, that made her seem young, unlike the other teachers, whose voices sounded old from talking and yelling and lecturing all day long.   
  
"Would you mind helping me with a few more boxes? I got to the school a little late and all my supplies were lost. Knew I shouldn't have spilled that temporary invisibility potion all over.." She mumbled. "I just need to get them from the closet to my office, care to help?"  
  
The three students trailed behind Sombra as she led them to one of the doors in the middle of the hall. They each took a box and Harry led them to her office, which he had been in on many occasions with the different teachers.  
  
Inside the office, it looked much like a living room more then anything else. There was a small couch, a chair or two, along with another usual desk, some candle holders and a filing cabinet.  
  
"Oh, thanks for the help." Professor Sombra said, taking the boxes from them and placing them on the chair or desk. "I have a break today, I'll have to unload everything." She said, but more to herself them to them.  
  
Harry took a better look at her, now that she wasn't at the table, or carrying any boxes. She was tall and had blue glasses that matched dark blue robes she was wearing. Harry could see, as they followed her back to the classroom, that she was wearing white sneakers. He smirked.   
  
When they entered her classroom again, a few more students were seated in different areas, some were Hufflepuffs, and others were Ravenclaws.. including Cho Chang.  
  
"Isn't Cho in a year ahead of us?" Ron asked Harry as they sat down. Cho and Lisa Turpin were in the back, along with about six other Ravenclaws. Harry looked around and spotted Hannah Abbott and Ernie Macmillan, two Hufflepuffs in Harry's year. There was also Wayne Hopkins and about four other Hufflepuffs Harry didn't recognize.  
  
Padma and Parvati Patil came in together, followed by two more Hufflepuffs and another Ravenclaw or so.  
  
About two minutes before class would begin, a group of Slytherins came in, one of which was Draco Malfoy.  
  
Hermione groaned out loud and slumped back in her seat, making it clear she did not want that stupid git. There was Blaise Zabini, Tracey Davis, Theodore Nott, and a few others that were in seventh year.  
  
Soon a few more people came in of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw.  
  
About the second the last person sat down, Professor Sombra began, sitting on her desk. People whispered to each other because of her strange behavior, no teacher would normally do that.  
  
She took roll, like some of the other teachers did, and then she put down the grading book and looked around at them.  
  
"Let me introduce myself. My name is Professor Sombra, I used to go, here to Hogwarts. Professor Snape, you know him? He was two years older then I was, so he has memories of me." She couldn't help but grin. "I know the hallways around here are long and tend to be misleading, so if your late by a minute or two, that's all right. But anything more then five minutes I want a good reason.  
  
"After Hogwarts, I went to be a Defense Against the Dark Arts trainer, as for Aurors and Ministry. I have a degree in that yes, but in my time, they needed more Aurors then they did trainers. I like to teach, I like to learn. When You-Know-Who was said to have disappeared, I was able to get a job as a DADA teacher in Auror training." Professor Sombra looked at the students who seemed to be a little nervous, (other then the Slytherins) who were afraid of another Umbridge. "Don't worry, I don't work for the Ministry." She smiled, a bit lopsided.  
  
"When Dumbledore advertised he needed a position, I applied for it. It's true, there are plenty of Auror trainers without me." She said, taking a breath then looked at everyone slowly, as if counting them, or taking them all in.  
  
"Thirty students. I suppose the new comers are wondering why the two years are combined and while all four houses are together. There aren't many of you who had an E or an O, but a surprising high number of new students. The past years, that I have looked up, there were only about ten students per year. Since the rest of the sixth and seventh years will also be taking Defense Against the Dark Arts, I had to combine the Advanced 6/7 years." She said, a little softly.  
  
"I have rules, here. If any of you have ever had muggle schooling, or take Muggle Studies, you will find that my grading and rules are a lot like them. My parents loved muggle inventions and muggle tools, so I went to a muggle school from five till I was eleven. I kind of picked up the way of my old teachers grading systems and rules.  
  
"The rules are pretty simple. One is to /never/ and I mean /never/ talk, move around, or distract anyone when they are practicing or reading something. Some of the spells you'll learn are dangerous and the last thing the caster needs is to be distracted. Anyone disobeying this rule will be punished. My next rule is fairness and respect. By no means and I mean no means, are you allowed to criticize anyone in my classroom or near it. When I say fairness, no House will get a better treatment. You are equal, each and everyone one of you. Mr. Malfoy is no better then Miss. Patil, Miss. Patil is no better then Mr. Malfoy. Anyone who disrespects anyone or acts out rudely, will be punished.  
  
"That's about it. I think your pretty capable of following two or three rules around here, especially if you got into an advanced class, don't you think? If you ever need help with a question or anything, feel free to ask." Sombra took a breath to end her speech and rubbed her jaw as if she talked a lot.  
  
"Today, we won't be doing much. I really need a day to unload anything, so the last thing I want to do on top of that is plan for grading papers."   
  
"So.. we won't be having homework?" Hannah asked, looking very hopeful. When Professor Sombra said yes, there was a strong cry of cheers and clapping. When it settled down, Professor Sombra chuckled and pulled out a notebook with parchment in it. While she talked, she flipped through it.  
  
"You have learned quite a lot. In your first year, Quirrell taught you some basic spells that were appropriate for your age. Lochart taught you.. well I'm sure you did learn some things. Lupin did teach you some very good things about Dark creatures and other things, which is very useful, except to me, it ties into Care of Magical Creatures more. Kettleburn used to teach us things from flubberworms to dragons back in my day.  
  
That Moody there, seemed to teach things way beyond your level at the time. Though I do say, Mr. Potter, you and the others did an extraordinary job that year. Though the Unforgivable were something that was usually taught for the sixth and seventh years. Last year, well last year the teacher was basically full of it."  
  
There was much laughing from all the Houses, except Slytherin, though a few chuckles did escape.  
  
"That D.A. thing, Dumbledore's Army? Without it, I don't know how many of you would be here. I do say, Mr. Potter here did a great job at teaching, he did." Professor Sombra praised Harry.  
  
"Though, Mr. Potter, the Patronus was something /I/ would have been teaching this year, but for those of you who weren't in the D.A., we will go over it briefly. Yes... Miss..?"  
  
"Patil.." Padma said. "I know the Patronus defends from Dementers. But if Dementers are so dark, why do they guard the Azkaban prison?"  
  
"That's a good question, I'm pretty sure Professor Lupin told you about Dementers and that you all experienced them in your third year, correct?" Most of the students nodded to this. "Well then, you all know that a Dementor sucks the happiness out of a person, the people in Azkaban tend to go crazy after a few weeks or months. I was there once, to visit someone. I wasn't even in there as a prisoner, yet I felt I would never escape. It's a horrible, horrible place. That's why it's perfect for You-Know-Who to control the Dementers. He is so much like them. Horrible, scary, and takes the happiness out of so many people, even when he is not there." Professor Sombra said softly. "Yes Miss. Patil?"  
  
"Yes, but if he tries to control the Dementers, wouldn't they affect him?" Parvati asked.  
  
"Another good question. You all know that You-Know-Who is said to be the most evil wizard of all times? That's what he is. Evil. When Mr. Potter here, reflected the /Avada Kedavra/ spell, some people believe You-Know-Who was killed, but of course he isn't. Some say he was hurt terribly, since he didn't die from it, which is probably true. But by the time he had attacked the Potters, he was already so evil, death couldn't stop him." She narrowed her eyes. "It makes him pleased to do Dark things and to kill people. This is not a good thing, a Dark Thing. Since a Dementor is a Dark Creature.. why would he not be as affected?"  
  
Everyone was quiet, Harry especially, his cheeks burned red. But why.. Voldemort was a Dark person.. A Dementor is a Dark creature.. so if two and two are put together...  
  
"Yes, Mr. Potter?"   
  
"Since Voldemort (Half the classroom flinched) is a Dark and Evil thing and Dementers are Dark and Evil things, it's kind of like they cancel each other out. Kind of like the 'Opposites attract thing.'"  
  
"Well said, Mr. Potter. Five points to Gryffindor." Professor Sombra said, the Gryffindors cheered. "Since You-Know-Who is Dark and so are Dementers, when they combine, nothing happens." Still, some people looked a little confused. Professor Sombra flicked her wand. Two goblets of water and a small pot appeared in a line on her desk and she went around to stand behind it.  
  
"If I put this glass of water in," She poured the first glass of water into the pot. "And this one in." She poured the last one in. "What happens?" It didn't seem rhetorical at all. She looked at them as if waiting for an answer. "Yes Miss. Chang?"  
  
"Nothing?"  
  
"Correct! 5 points to Ravenclaw." The Ravenclaws cheered. "Now then, Mr. Malfoy, What happened to the amount of water in the pot?"  
  
"It got bigger.."  
  
"And what happens, if I say, threw the water on you?" Students were grinning now. Harry thought, maybe Malfoy will melt. "What would be bigger then a large, heavy pot of water, then a small, weak cup of water?" She emphasized the large, small, heavy, and weak words.  
  
"The force?" He answered.  
  
"Yes! 5 points to Slytherin." Professor Sombra said. "Now, Miss... Abbott is it? The water was an example. What would happen if the Dementers and You-Know-Who combined?"  
  
"Their Dark forces would be stronger." Hannah said.   
  
"Exactly! A 5 points to Hufflepuff. The forces would be stronger." The bell rang. "Next class we'll be going what would or will happen if they use those forces! Have a good day!" Professor Sombra waved to them merrily.  
  
"For a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, discussing You-Know-Who and all, she sure is happy..." Ron said.  
  
"Well do you expect her to shuffle around all day glum and depressed?" Harry asked him.  
  
"Well.. no. But the cup of water?"  
  
"I think she wanted us to grasp the concept, that putting two and two together make forces stronger. Don't you think if the houses combined, the good forces of us would be stronger?" Hermione said.  
  
"Slytherin is not good. They're a bunch of Death Eaters just waiting to be born." Ron muttered bitterly, glaring at Draco Malfoy who was ahead of them. "We have Charms next, right?"  
  
The three trailed up the next floor or so to their Charms class, where they saw the rest of the Gryffindors in their year and Ravenclaws.  
  
As they sat down, Professor Flitwick started the class by giving his usual speech. When he was done, he began the next lesson.  
  
"Today we will be studing the /Colloportus/ Charm. It's a very good spell for sealing doors, walls, and even can close tiny chasms. This is a very hard spell. You will each be given a small chest to unlock and then reopen it with the /Alohomora/ Spell. Continue practicing until I say stop."  
  
Hermione had no trouble in completing the spell the first time, awarding ten points to Gryffindor.   
  
Ron couldn't get it at all the first few times, but opened it instead. Then, on his third attempt, it wouldn't shut until he held it down for a minute or two. Finally, when he did get it, it wouldn't unlock.  
  
On Harry's second attempt, he did manage to get the down, but it flew back up before he could unlock it.  
  
Harry and Ron both did have homework that night, but since Hermione was the first to get it done, she had none.  
  
After Charms, it was lunch time and Harry and Ron were both extremely hungry.  
  
The three friends headed through the now crowded halls toward the Great Hall and everyone was excited to get down to tell their friends about their first day in glasses and all about the teachers they had encountered.  
  
Harry, Ron, and Hermione ate toasted cheese sandwiches and tomato soup while listening to the other students around them. The first years were very amusing to listen to, seeing as they had never met the teachers before. One of the first year boys in Gryffindor, Zack Culps, was saying what a rude jerk Snape was and how he had class with the Slytherins to a Ravenclaw friend.  
  
"Hey Harry, when are you going to have Quidditch sign ups?" Dennis, Colin Creevy's younger brother asked him.  
  
"On Friday and I think I'll make a poster to put on the notice board in the common room." Harry said, with a small mouthful of cheese and toast.  
  
"I'll make one! I don't have any classes now!" Before Harry could say anything, Dennis was out of the Great Hall with one of his friends. Harry shook his head and turned back to his friends. Hermione was the first to say anything, and she and Ron both had amused looks on their faces.  
  
"We better get to Potions.." 


	6. Dream

Chapter 6. Something or other.  
  
On Friday, after dinner, Harry had the tryouts for the Quidditch team. Six people did try, but Harry picked Ginny Weasley and Colin Creevey as the other two Chasers and the Beaters were Dennis Creevey and Gary Pullman. These four had been pretty good and it was true, Ginny was a better Chaser then Seeker. Harry had noted that Ally Zeus had been there, in the stands. She had been quiet though, when he waved to her on his broom, she waved back. When the team left, so did she.  
  
The group, including Alicia and Ron, came back exhausted. The six people who tried out had a serious scrimmaging game for awhile, so it was like a pretty hard first practice. Harry smiled and said on Sunday the practice would be a little easier.  
  
"Hard tryouts?" Hermione asked, looking up from a book she was reading; she sat on an armchair. "Sorry I couldn't make it, I was studying for /Potions/." Harry groaned, remembering they had a huge essay to do. She lifted her eyebrows at them hintingly.  
  
"I'll do it tomorrow, 'Mione." He muttered, much like a child.  
  
"Mmhmm." She murmured, lowering her eyes back to the book.  
  
"Come on, you're not going to badger us about homework right after tryouts, are you 'Mione?" Ron whined.  
  
"No.." She opened her mouth to say something else, but Harry cut her off.  
  
"Good, I'm going to bed then. Night 'Mione, Ron." He waved to them a good night and then went off to the dormitory.  
  
As soon as Harry's head hit the pillow, he drifted off to a deep sleep.  
  
----  
  
Harry was sitting on stone, a stone floor in a stone dungeon. You know, different slabs of stone and rock hooked up together so there's an even floor, walls, and a ceiling. It was dark in the hall, but Harry knew that it was pretty big. Torches were along side the walls, with hints of green popping up in the flames if you stared at them long enough.  
  
Harry looked around and saw no one. Down the left, the tunnel of stone went so far into blackness and then on the right. Though it was dark anyway, anyone could guess that these halls of stone stretched pretty far. Harry had to be somewhere in the middle of it all.  
  
It didn't take Harry to realize it was awfully dusty down in the halls as if someone hadn't cleaned in ages. Sure, no one in their right mind would walk down the dungeons weekly, dusting away like Filch would. But this had to have been collecting dust for a long time, because Harry's glasses were getting a little fogged up with dirt. No matter how hard he tried to clean them, the fog and dirt and dust never seemed to come off.  
  
Clearly Harry knew he wouldn't make much progress of learning anything or finding an escape by sitting here, collecting dust like the floor and torches were doing very well. Harry only slightly pondered on how and why he was in here, but quickly dismissed all worryings for now.  
  
He stood up, dusting off the collected dust (O.o) and then looked around. Nothing had changed from his standing up, though, seeing in the light of the torch, he saw bits and fragments of dust floating about, but yet to have the urge to cough.  
  
Harry took a step forward, the heel of his shoe and the stone of the floor clicked loudly, making a light echo sweep through the dungeons. He took a few steps forward, slowly they fell into mindless echoes as he walked and whenever he stopped, the sound stopped a thousand times after that.  
  
For awhile Harry walked, loosing count of the halls he turned to, the stairs he went down and the steps he took. It didn't take long for Harry to realize he wasn't going anywhere but sure was going somewhere.  
  
Harry heard a scream, the kind of painful scream of death, the kind you hear once and never want to hear again. It's the kind that will stay in your mind forever, to your last breath, that scream is one in its own.  
  
Harry shook a bit but continued walking, growing more curious as he was scared. Vaguely, he thought about how this was so much like down in the Department of Mysteries the previous year. Cautiously, Harry ignored that thought and continued down into the dungeon halls.  
  
After awhile, Harry arrived at a huge room. All of the dungeon he had climbed through, was merely an entrance to this. When he stepped into the room to take a good look around, a door shut the only noticeable exit behind him. The torches, one by one, lit all the way around the walls so Harry could get a good look around.  
  
The walls were stretched so far and the ceiling was equally as high up, as tall as the Great Hall, at least. But instead of being enchanted, the ceiling appeared to be made up of different shards of mirror and glass. So did the walls, all around him, hundreds of Harrys looked back.  
  
Again, he heard a desperate cry again, this time more loud and strong. It didn't seem at all far away from Harry, possibly only feet ahead.  
  
How could he have not noticed it? There before him, only several long strides away was the largest, most extravagant fountain he had ever seen. Four or five pedestals high, pale green water shot from the top. There was another scream, a female scream, it seemed to be coming from the /fountain/.  
  
Harry inched forward, his eyes were wide with fear. He placed his hands on the fountain, a cool dark marble underneath his palms. He looked down into the water and gasped.  
  
His mother's face, seemed to be reflected in it. She was screaming, looking at something with horror. Like a pensive, or watching something. Yet, it seemed so life like. Harry reached out to touch it..  
  
-------------  
  
Okay, again, I am REALLY sorry that the chapter was so short. You see, being the idiot I am, deleted all of the chapters including the one I was working on. It had been over two or so thousand words at the time and I hadn't want to write it (the tryouts) So then I redid it with this dream idea, but I have been so exhausted and busy. Today (the nineteenth) I had my chorus concert, and Im writing this at nine at my time, got back at 8:30. So I am TIRED.  
  
On Monday is my last school day and then Christmas vacation! I'll start writing sometime during then.  
  
--- PLEASE, PLEASE GIVE ME IDEAS FOR A NEXT CHAPTER IN YOUR REVIEWS! PLEASE ---  
  
And boy do I thank you for all of them. Sorry I couldn't respond to all of yours like I usually do, but I'll start with a few.  
  
Miss. Aurelia! (MWHAHAHA) ---  
  
Now THAT is what I call a review. Thank you for saying it's nice and all, and THANK YOU for actually critizing (in a polite way, my dear FLAMER PEOPLE OUT THERE - not saying anyone is -.)  
  
I'll go down your list.  
  
- For the first two, I tend to do that. And heh, with the Moony/Moody thing, gimme a break. In meh other story, I mixed up Padfoot and Prongs!!!  
  
- I think she has a different letter she sent, or along with the OoTP, that little note was just a side note. And speaking of that, Im not a creative person! You know that. X) -Reads own chapter and note from Tonks thing.- Oh.  
  
- Peers. And who says it was a NEW newspaper.. O.O  
  
- See the non-creative thingy. O.o..  
  
- Care of Magical Arts is taking care of the Arts. How to polish a broom, how to fix a wand.. X)  
  
- Meh. Just for everyone else to know, I write a lot of this at night time. So it's natural I might mispell things! at least i don't type like dis 2 pplz. (Sorreh for people who type like that!) And I like DEMENTERS. Dementors are.. mean. ...  
  
- Fudge won't resign, because I don't think many people are willing to take his place. Dumbledore has his school. And I know he isn't Pro-Voldie (heh) but I just wanted to emphasize, Malfoy has his strings.  
  
- I think I said that wrong. I kind of meant the players would be life size, not like an itsy bitsy (TEENSY WEENSY..) piece of paper(parchment) of a poster. Like, fills up the wall. Sorreh if I confused people. I tend to do that.. I took this test in school, it said I have 'abstract thinking'  
  
- Cho is a Ravenclaw, and Ravenclaws are known for their intelligence. She was in D.A. last year, I think that could help, too? And yes, since the level of students are smaller, it would be smart to combine them? What if there had been three in Slytherin and two in Hufflepuff? It wouldn't be a grand idea to waste an hour for five students when there are others to be taught.  
  
GamingGuy84, Sonya Katz, and devon --- THANK YOU! So much! I'm flattered, really. I kind of did want to write in the sense J.K. might write. Thank you greatly.  
  
Heh, if you noticed, I'm trying to use words so the size of the chapter will be bigger!  
  
(Notes that this section was about as big as the whole chapter...) 


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